A ray of hope
by Five Knights
Summary: There are many things Chris keeps from the Charmed Ones. The little person than came with him from the future is one of them. Will he be able to keep his identity a secret and protect his daughter at the same time?
1. Chapter 1

A ray of hope

Brilliance of the Moon Challenge #6

Chris didn't come back from the future alone the 1st time, in fact he had being in the past for a week before he orbed into Oh My Goddess. Chris has a daugther, Piper Hope Halliwell, and he has to hide her from his family. But when Piper gets ill and he has to look after her, even when he is ill himself after having a relapse of his condition will he be able to keep little Piper and his identities a secret?

Rules:

1. Little Piper can't be seriously ill, she could have the flu or something. For a young child that would be quite bad to her.

2. Chris has something serious like Diabetes or something like that.

3. They don't live at P3, the girls don't know where he lives.

4. Little Piper's mother is Bianca. If calling her Little Piper is a litle confusing you could always come up with a nickname or he could call her by her middle name Hope.

Brilliance of the moon let me change the girl's name because I really didn't like naming her Piper. So now chris' daughter will be named Lilian Melinda Halliwell. Lily or Lils for abreviation. Again, thank you for that.

Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed or Chris or most of the characters. I do own Lily, I guess that's something.

Chapter 1: A secret life

"Chris!!"

"Chris!"

"CHRIS! Where is he?" Paige had been calling the witchlighter for over an hour and he was yet to show.

They had seen little of him over the last week, meaning nothing, and granted that was their fault. After the order had kidnap Wyatt the Charmed Ones had been very edgy with Chris, Piper especially. But now that Paige had had the time to cool off she decided that she belived what her neurotic withlighter had said. The problem was he refused to answer her so she had no way of speaking to him about the posible future of her nephew.

"Paige what are you doing?" Phoebe entered the attic expecting to find an army of demons attacking the manor. Seeing none, she looked at her little sister clearly annoyed. "Why were you screaming like that?"

"I was calling Chris, but he won't answer! Chris!!" Paige was in her stubborn mood, she wanted Chris and she wouldn't stop screeching until he answered her.

"Yeah I assumed that much. But why were you calling for him? After everything he did, every lie he told us, especially the last one. Saying that Wyatt would be..."

"I belive him. That is why I was calling."

"You what? You trust him?" Phoebe could not belive it. "Did all that hair dye fry your brain?"

"Hey now! What is your problem with my hair? I happen to think it looks great."

"Don't change the subject. How can you belive him?"

"I'm not sure, it's something I know, deep inside. He is telling the truth and I know that if we don't listen to him we'll regret it." That conviction was scaring Phoebe, after all Paige had been right about the titans, what if she was right about this too?.

"Ok, we'll ask him, I am going to try and get a reading out of him. It has never worked before but who knows" revelation hit Paige.

"So that's why you don't trust him, isn't it?"

"Well, yes. I mean my powers are fairly accurate and he is inmune to them. Look, what does that say about him! Not even you guys can block yourselves from me, not without that potion anyway."

"And maybe he took a potion too" Paige was not too sure about that, if he had taken a potion then it probably meant that he had in fact something to hide.

"No, it's not it. He only gave you the potion two months ago, and he's been blocking me from the beggining. I'm telling you it's something else."

"Anyway that doesn't change the fact he is telling the truth." He looked at Phoebe skeptical face. "He is telling the truth."

"Fine, orb to P3 and bring something of his, something personal."

"What! Why?" Phoebe was known for changing from one mood to another, but it was very hard to follow even for someone as close as her sister.

"To scry for him of course. If he won't answer then we'll force him to come. Go."

And Paige went, at least she thought, she wasn't being completely disregarded.

In the middle of a wild jungle a little girl played. Her long brown hair hanged loose over her shoulders. Light waves formed themselves on the end. She wore a simple green dress that seemed to float around her as she ran. The sparkling butterfly she was chasing finaly flew away, and she tried to chase it with a tiny pout in her pink lips.

"Lily, stay close." The young man that accompanied the girl called out.

"Yes daddy." Lily ran towards her father and hugged him tightly. "For how long are you staying today?" her father had stayed with her for hours, and the child was afraid he would have to leave soon.

"I have the hole day for you." Chris picked up his five year old daughter and started making his way to the campsite. That morning he had orbed straight to his baby girl and blocked the sister so he wouldn't be distracted. Then again the sisters hadn't spoken to him in weeks.

"So you'll eat with us" A hopefull expression in her delicate face. Green eyes sparkling in anticipation.

"Of course I will, now let's get you clean up for lunch." He walked slowly the familiar path. The green that surrounded him made him feel a peace he hadn't felt in a long time. That was one of the reasons why he had decided to leave his daughter there while he worked on saving Wyatt. He knew the place very well, both from his present and the past, and it always provided him with shelter, or it had at least. Wyatt had managed to ruin even that, but in this time it was still there, still alive.

"Daddy why are you sad?." The lithe child always knew what her dad was thinking, was it a natural bond, or the empathy they both possessed she always knew. "where you thinking about mommy? I was."

"I always think about her, and it's ok for you to do it. It's ok to miss her." Nothing had been as hard as telling Lily about her mother. "I miss her too, but I know that she was very proud of you for being so brave and so good. You've helped daddy a lot."

"How? I only stay here with them." Lily looked really sad about that, she clearly wanted to be of help to her father.

"You are my reason." She was all he had left, the only reason he got up every morning, why he tried, she was his purpose, he fought to create a safe world for his daughter. He fought for his daughter. Lilian Melinda Halliwel was his everything.

"I don't understand" She looked at him confused, but any doubt left her mind as her father smiled at her.

"You will." The moment was soon interrupted.

"Chris, I didn't know you'd be coming today"

"Hello Luna, I decide to visit Lily. How are you today?" The valkyrie named Luna approached them. A sense of familiarity around them.

"Very well, Thanks for asking." The petit brunette answered with a smile. "How is the little one?"

"I'm fine Aunt Luna. Daddy's gonna stay for lunch!" a large smile adorned the girl's face.

"My sisters will be pleased with your presence." Luna lead them through the path towards where her sisters were at the moment. Unnecessary, but it would have been rude to point it out. He knew enough about valkyries, they were his allies in his time.

They had given him a medallion when he told them about the plan to travel to the past. It was similar to the ones they wore, but his was one of friendship, a rare gift for the outsiders. Almost a brother to them. The moment he arrived with Lily he orbed them to Vallhala, where he had presented the medallion. From there moment on he had been treated like one of their one, which was why they had agreed to keep Leo as a prisioner, why they hadn't fought Piper when she decided to leave and why they had been taking care of his daughter when he was busy with the Charmed Ones.

Of course he hadn't been very bussy since he had been kicked ot of the manor. But he would find a way to fix that.

Paige was gaping at the world map. The crystal she had been using for scrying had dropped in the middle of the ocean. But she remember what was there, Phoebe remembered what was there. So they did the only thing they thought posible.

"LEO!!"

A/N Ok first chapter finished. Please review and let me know what you think. Don't worry I will continue my other story, in fact next chapter is almost finished. Oh before I forget, I will cover the other points of the challenge, just give it time.

Again read and review.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Lunch discoveries.

"LEO!"

Phoebe was screeching at the top of her lungs completely ignoring her baby sister who was desperately trying to calm her down.

Within seconds a mass of orbs began to take shape in front of the sisters.

"Blessed Be". The glowing mass greeted even before it had fully formed. When Leo was finally fully present, Phoebe burst out laughing, all her previous anger momentarely forgetten.

"Phoebe please!. This is so not the time for this" Paige stared at her sister reproachafully. First she is ignored when she tries to keep her from calling her ex-brother-in-law, and then she loses her mind?

"I'm sorry! So, so sorry" She couldn't help it, everytime she saw Leo in those ridiculous elder gowns she laugh. In her opinion he looked just like an over grown christmas doll. "So sorry"

"I hope you are having fun Phoebe." Leo was clearly not pleased at being called just as a source of amusement. "If that was all you needed..."

"No wait!" Paige stopped him just as he was about to orb back Up There. Since he was already there they might as well tell him. "We called because of Chris, he..." Whatever smile the elder may have had left was inmediately erased.

"Is Wyatt hurt? What did he do to him now? I though you said he was staying away from you?." The elder was growling furiously, long gone was the pacifist.

"He didn't do anything, I think, or maybe he did. Just maybe. We are not sure of anything yet." Paige was having her doubts but she still belived her whitelighter had told the truth, about some things at least. If Leo knew what they had found out he would probably have Chris' soul recycled before he had a chance to defend himself.

"Just maybe? Paige explain yourself! What did he do to Wyatt?" The father was clearly fixed on that.

"Wyatt is fine Leo, he is with Piper right now. That's not the problem, you see Paige was calling Chris and he wouldn't answer, so we tried scrying for him and after a while the crystal stopped and I'm telling you, you will never guess where we found him." She led Leo past an upset Paige and to the table where the map and the crystal were still resting. "Or maybe you would".

Lily was sat in a comfortable chair while observing the crowd that surrounded her. She was sitting at her father's right, on his daddy's other side was her Aunt Mist. The child liked her, Mist was sweet and kind, and always played with her when she was bored because her daddy was gone. Lily also knew that the valkyrie cared deeply for her father, and that made her like her even more. Because after all, as perceptive as the little empath was, she was still too young to understand the true nature of the affection Mist felt for him.

Kate and Freiya were sitting at the head of the table leading a discusion about the new warriors and the need to find new valkyries after the misterious disappearances that had happen a few months before. At that point the valkyries were certain that they would not be found alive. Thay had cried the lost of their three fallen sisters, but even though they searched for weeks they were unable to find the one responsible for the murders. No one of course had suspected the young father that was at that very moment sharing their table.

"Chris, for how long are you staying with us?" Mist's gentle voice could be heard above the other voices and most of the valkyries ceased their conversations wishing to hear the answer to that question. Chris was always amazed at that, even though Mist's voice was softer than most, everyone managed to catch every word she spoke. "You have been here for almost a week."

It wasn't a complain, he knew it, but he had been in Valhalla for a long time, at least under his standars.

He would usually visit Lily everyday for an hour or two since he didn't always spend the night in the hut they had been given. The little girl understood his father's absence, she knew he had an important mission, although she wasn't very sure of what it was. Still she looked at her father expectantly.

Lily knew his father's mission included looking after someone, that he had to stop demons from hurting people, and that above all he had to protect a little baby. Her mommy and daddy had explained that to her before her father took her through the bright, blue light. They had said that his mission was very important and that she had to listen to everything her daddy said so that she wouldn't disturb him. At the time she had thought that last instruction unnecessary, Lily always listened to her daddy. But as time went by she found herself missing her mommy and daddy more every day. Her father was with her, yes, but he was out so much that she barely got to see him, and whenever they were spending time together he would hear one of those annoying voices in his head and was forced to leave. So she wanted to know. Her father had never been with her for so long since they crossed the light, Lily was happy, maybe catching a cold wasn't so bad after all.

"I think I'll stay until Lily is feeling better, she is not completely healed yet." When Kate had went to the Underworld looking for Chris and told him Lily was ill he had almost had a heart attack, and it wasn't an exaggeration, Chris had a good experience with illnesses. Luckily his baby girl only had a cold, and he took it as a perfect opportunity to get some rest himself. After the Charmed Ones had kicked him out of the manor he used the extra time to kill some of the demos that still remained in his list, but a week had passed from vanquish to vanquish and he was begginig to feel drained and weak.

"I think you could make good use of this time. You do look paler than usual." Mist's voice was laced with concern, several valkyries expresed their agreement to that statement. Chris's mind worked quickly looking for a believable excuse.

"It's nothing, I'm just a bit tired." Not his best lie but it would have to do. He was more than a bit tired, although that was to be expected.

No one believed him, of course, but his friends remained silent none the less. If he didn't want to explain the truth in front of his daughter then they wouldn't force him. Kate decided to save him from the predicament.

"Have you made any progress with the witches?" she had been terribly worried when he'd told her about the argument with the sisters. She knew the importance of what he was trying to accomplish. Chris had broken his "future consequences" rule, he needed the valkyries to trust him if he wanted them to keep Leo prisioner, if he wanted them to look after his daughter when he couldn't. So he had told the truth for once. They had been even more understanding than he had expected.

"I haven't seen them yet. I planned on giving them some time to calm down a bit. They won't help until they accept the idea that their golden boy is going to turn against everything they stand for." The bitterness was noticed by Mist and Kate.

"They will fight the truth until the end. Humans are unable of accepting their own failure, the Charmed Ones are not different." Freiya spoke, clearly urging Chris to act.

"No one is as blind as he who refuses to see." Chris had heard that saying and spoke it out loud without realizing. Some months after Wyatt turning he had come to the conclusion that it described his family perfectly.

"Exactly." Freiya approved. This was one of the things that she liked about Chris. In spite of being a young human he thought like a warrior who has seen too much blood. Someone who understood just how the world worked. "So what will you do?"

"I will speak to them soon. If they haven't tried to contact me by the end of the week I will go to them."

"Son of a bitch!. It was him, I knew it!" Leo had been cursing for at least ten minutes, going on and on on an endless rant.

"Leo please calm down!"

"Calm down! CALM DOWN! He was the one to send me to Valhalla, and this is the proof."

"But Leo..."

"What Paige! He is probably there right now ploting against us, finding ways to get to Wyatt!" Leo was seconds from orbing away, ready to tell the Elders what he had discovered, and then he would finally get rid of that future whitelighter before he hurt his family.

"LEO! Don't you dare orbing away!." Paige had had enough of being ignored. And she would not let him do something drastic. "I think we should think about this little more. Maybe wait for Phoebe to return with Piper."

"No! You should summon him, or we just orb there and get him."

"And get killed by the valkyries, I don't think so."

"Then what? We stay here and do nothing?! That's your great plan?"

"Yes it is."

Paige didn't know what to do, she had belived Chris and now it turned out that apparently Leo had been right all along. Did that mean that Wyatt wouldn't turn evil? She hoped so, just the thought of her little nephew becoming a monster terrified her, and not just because she was related to him but because she couldn't imagine what it would be like for the world if something that powerful was in fact evil. If that was the case and Chris was telling the truth then they wuld definately have to do something, after all baby Wyatt was their responsability.

Phoebe had been gone for alost an hour when she returned with a very confused and pist off Piper.

"What is going on people? I was finally working at P3, without demonic distraction for a change. This better be good!"

"Well I wouldn't say good:" Phoebe explained the whole story again, this time with Leo's assistance. And that of course meant frases like "I told you so", "He is evil", "I knew it". After an afternoon of discussing it Paige was disapointed to discover that Piper agreed with Leo. Phoebe had agreed whit him from the beggining, but Paige hoped that at least Piper would listen. Sadly the mother in Piper was only focused on protecting Wyatt from what she considered to be a threat.

"We have to take care of him before he hurts Wyatt." Piper was already setting candles in the floor.

"What do you mean by take care of him?" Now even Phoebe was a bit concerned.

"You now what I mean." And with that she started working on a summoning spell.

Chris was laying on his bed. Lunch had finished hours ago, and after talking to Freiya and planing possible ways of convincing the Charmed Ones to trust him again she had told him that maybe he should lay down for a while.

"Mist is right, you don't look good."

He was falling asleep when an unexpected weight landed on his chest.

"Daddy do you wanna play with me?" Lily smiling at him sweetly, she knew that her father couldn't resist that smile, so when he told that maybe later she was more surprised than disapointed. "Are you sick like me?"

Chris opened his eyes shocked. NO, she would never ever be sick like him. He knew what was happening to him for it had happened before.

As a child Chris had been very sick, after several months in the hospital he was diagnosed with leukemia. Piper had been devastated when the doctores told her that her youngest son could die, luckily the treatment had work at the time, but they knew that it could come back if he wasn't careful his healt and didn't do a follow-up. Being in the past for almost a year, barely sleeping and eating had put a great strain to his body. And now he was paying the price.

"No sweety, daddy just has headache. We can play later, ok?" he really was tired, maybe a few hours of sleep would help.

"Ok daddy." Lily curled up next to him and thay were soon fast asleep.

The hut was silent, since its two inhabitants were sleeping. It wasn't a palace but it could easily acommodate them. It didn't have lamps, obviously, because in Valhalla there wasn't electricity, so chris had casted a spell to keep the place well iluminated. It didn't have alot of furniture, just the strictly necessary, it had two beds, a table with its chairs, and a closet.

Chris' research was scattered all over the table, charts, graphics and spells made it impossible to see the wood underneath. All of his and Lily's clothes were in the small closet, they hadn't taken anything from the future so they were forced to make do with what they could find. Next to Lily's bed there was a small wooden trunk, a present from Mist when they had moved into Valhalla, where all of her toys where kept. Being the son of Piper Halliwel, Chris considered tidyness of great importance.

Less than an hour had gone by when Lily was awakened by a bright light. Terrified, she saw her father dissapear infront of her surrounded by white lights.

Moments later a shocked Chris materialized in the Manor.

A/N Well here goes chapter two, I was very glad to see that you liked the first one. I hope you are so far satisfied with the reaction of the sisters and Leo, although you'll see a lot more of it in the next chapter. And finally I revealed Chris condition, again it will have more relevance in the future.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three: Familiar distrust

"Daddy? DADDY!" Lily was crying and screaming while running around the hut hoping that her father was simply hiding behind a piece of furniture and not missing for some misterious reason. She had looked everywhere, and her father refused to answer her. He never ignored her like that, not when she was screaming so despairingly for him. Something had forced her father to live her. The bright light had taken her father and she wanted him back!. "Daddy where are you?!."

A valkyrie whose name Lily didn't remember entered the hut after hearing the child's cries. The tall, willowy woman had been passing by when she heard the noise coming from the normally quiet hut.

"Lily what is wrong?" she made her way towards the girl and then gently took her in her arms while attempting to calm her. A quick scan around the room had shown her that Christopher was nowhere in sight. "Where is your father?"

At first Lily could only cry, but eventually between hicups, she manged a response.

"The light came and took him!"

"What are you doing?" Chris was sleepy and confused, one moment he was resting with his daughter, and the next he was trapped in a crystal cage. The look on his family's faces was not very encouraging either. For a moment he felt like one of the many that were summoned by the sisters for interrogations. Having grown in the manor he saw first hand just how the sisters obtained information and was in no way hoping to suffer from that fate.

Piper and Leo looked about ready to kill him, Piper even had her hands disposed to attack at any provocation. This alone was enough to snap him into awareness. What could have angered them like that?. He had stayed away from them just like they told him, no demons had been attacking them, and he hadn't been sending them on vanquishes.

Phoebe and Paige, on the other hand appeared scared and concerned. Phoebe had been sure that Chris had a secret and was prepared to find out what it was, but that did not mean she was willing to kill him as it was clearly Piper's intention.

"What are we doing?! Well let me tell you. We are going to get answers out of you one way or another!" Piper was livid. He even dared to act innocent! "We know you are here to hurt Wyatt, and just expect us to do nothing?. I mean you come saying someone is goint to hurt him but you don't say how, then you say he is going to turn evil, do you actualy expect us to belive that crap?!."

"Considering it's true, yes. I expect you to belive it." Chris was furious as well, he knew his mother could play blind when she wanted to, but that was ridiculous. However, knowng his mother he should have tried to control his temper.

The moment he was finished saying that, he disolved in thousands of blue and white lights as Piper's power conected with him after she violently flicked her wrists at him. But he was only half whitelighter so when he finally reformed inside of the crystal cage he had a bleeding wound that covered his right shoulder and part of his chest.

"PIPER! What is wrong with you?" Phoebe was completely horrified at her sister. She could feel her sister's anger and shared it, but she did not think blowing up Chris was the solution. Paige couldn't even speak, she had always wondered how Piper's powers would affect her, being a half whitelighter, and now she had the answer. Things were getting out of hand and neither of them had any idea what to do next.

Chris stayed frozen in the floor where he had fallen after fully reforming, Piper had blown him up, his mother had blown him up. He could only stare at her, tears threatening to fall from his eyes. Only one thought going through his mind. _She really hates me._

"Wrong with me? You know what he is doing Phoebe!" Piper was infuriated, she was protecting her son, how could they not understand that.

"No, I don't know and neither do you!. That was the whole point of this. We summoned him to find out the truth!"

"That's not why I summoned him" If there was anything that could have completely broken Chris that was it. His mother wanted him dead. She could tell by her face, but even worst, thanks to his empathy he could sense her hatred as well.

After everything he had gone through, every demon and innocent he had killed in order to save Wyatt, and he had been forced to kill his fare share, he just couldn't handle any more pressure. He had sold himself, betrayed everything his mother had taught him, betrayed his beliefs, all for the precious Twice Blessed and for his family. Why couldn't they see that he meant no harm?.

It had broken his heart, seeing his mother alive and not being able to hug her, tell her how much he loved her. Every harsh word she directed his way had been like a knife slowly slashing at his skin. And for what? So she could despise him for it. He wasn't even born and his family already hated him, just perfect. The tears were close to falling. Nobody cared about him, yet he kept fighting, and deep down he began to wonder if it even mathered. If no one cared why should he keep bothering, why should he keep suffering from that mistreatment.

He had a reason. He faught for something. For her, he had to keep fighting for Lilian, because even is his family hated him, he still had her. _Just concentrate on Lily._ Bianca was gone, but he had the daughter she had given him, his light when everything was darkness. And Chris would make sure she had a goon world in which to grow, an uncle who loved her, and a family to care for her when he couldn't. His biggest fear was dying before he could change anything, what would be of Lily then, who would look for her?. Pulling himself toghether, he managed to hold his tears at bay. This was not the time to show weakness.

"And why did you bring me here Piper?" if he played it just right he might still get a chance to escape in one piece. Or maybe not one piece, he thought after his injured shoulder started shooting waves of pain all the way down to his hand.

"Don't play fool!. I'm going to stop you before you hurt my son. Before you hurt someone else in this family!."

"What? I haven't hurt anyone." Chris didn't understand what she was talking about, when had he hurt one of them?. Was this about the desires demon? No, no one had been hurt that day. The Order maybe? No, they would have said something sooner.

"So you are saying it was an accident? That tou had nothing to do with my time in Valhalla?" Leo spoke for the first time since Chris's arrival. He looked about ready to explode, and it scared him. In all his life he had never seen the Elder so angry, not even after Piper's death.

"You're still with that? I already told you I didn't do anything."

"So it's just a coincidence that Phoebe found you in Valhalla?" Leo's face showed triumph as he saw Chris pale in horror.

Freiya's paceful afternoon was about to be interrupted, she'd been sitting in the main hut watching her new champion fight and defeat the fifth contender of the day when one of her sisters bursted in the room interrupting her thoughts. All day long she'd been concerned about the posible results of the Charmed Ones denial over the future of the Twice Blessed witch, the conversation that took place in lunch had not eased he worries.

Kate wanted to urge Chris to do something, and Mist said that he needed time to relax. In the end she had agreed with Mist, if only temporarily. She knew Mist's feelings would cloud over her judgment eventually, but in the meantime she couldn't disagree with her, _I'm getting soft._

"Freiya!. We have a problem." The queen valkyrie turned to look at the new arrival with concern. Instantly fearing that more of her sisters had gone missing, her fears changed abruptly as she noticed the little girl in the other's arms.

"Mary what is it?" the valkyrie placed Lily in the floor before she started explaining.

"I think the Charmed Ones summoned Christopher. Lily says she saw him dissapear in a swirl of light, and they are the only ones that would want something with him."

"Are you sure it wasn't a demon?"

"Based on what Lily described I'm convinced it was a witch." Mary had been a witch herself before becoming a valkyrie, so Freiya trusted her judgment when it came to magic. And it would make sense, who else but the Charmed Ones would want to take Chris? Who else would have the power to breah through his mental blockade?. "What are we going to do?"

"Nothing." Freiya whispered so that Lily wouldn't hear her. Guessing her intentions Mary whispered her next statement.

"We can't do nothing!. He is one of us and he could be in danger, we can't leave him behind, it's not what we do. What about his mission?."

"The Charmed Ones are good witches, they wouldn't kill anyone, especially not another witch. Chris is not in danger, besides even if he was, he can take care of himself. He knows them, he knows how they think, he can handle the witches on hi own. We must let him deal with this alone, our presence would only endanger his mission and you know it. If the sisters realize we are helping him they'll know he gave us the Elder. And then he'll be in touble with them."

"But what if they already know? Maybe that's why they took him." Mary was not convinced, just like the other valkyries she had grown fond of Chris and was of course concerned obout his safety. Specially since he hadn't been looking very well lately.

"It is a risk we must take." Sensing the decision made, Lily started crying again.

"So it was you. You bastard! You separated me from my family, then you locked me up in that hell for over a month!" Leo was furious enough to use an elder power he never thought he'd need. The bolts made their way to its target who luckily avoided them at the last second by falling to his side narrowly missing hittting the limit of the cage.

"LEO! Stop!" Paige had jumped in front of him attempting to calm his former brother in law.

"What was that anyway?" Phoebe had never seen an attack like that one before. "Could you always do that? I've never seen you use it, why?"

"I've never needed it before now." He was still trying to move around Paige, but she was having none of it. "Paige let me go!"

"Not until you calm down."

"How did you know?" Piper had been staring at Chris the whole time.

"Know what Piper?" Paige had switch her attention from Leo to her sister, what was going through her mind now?.

"He knew what Leo was going to do." She looked back at them. "he dodged it because he knew what was going to happen." She turned back to Chris. "Leo has attacked you before, hasn't he? In your time. Or was it another Elder? It doesn't matter. Either way this proves it."

"Proves what?" It was Phoebe's turn to question her.

"If an Elder attacked him it proves that he is evil." And without saying anything else she aimed her power at Chris again and released it.

A/N: Well here goes chapter three, I hope it fulfilles your expectations. Let me know what you think of everyone's reactions towards Chris, and the valkyries decision of standing back. Sorry to those who expected a big rescue scene, I think Chris has to deal with this alone, after all I don't want to make him too dependant, and to those who liked Lily, she will have more protagonism in the future. And please tell me what you thought of my little cliffy.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: His mother did it

Everything went down so fast that neither the Charmed Ones nor Leo were sure of what really happened. Paige and Phoebe had been to busy trying to process what Piper had said to actualy realize her intentions. And by the time they did it was too late for them to stop her.

Paige was no longer holding Leo on his place. All of the sudden the furious Elder stopped being the big threat to the young witchlighter. She only had time to blink at Piper once before she attacked. Flabbergasted at her older sister her short cry of "No" went completely unnoticed.

The mother had had enough. She was trying to protect his son from this menace. She had that clear in her mind, Leo was on her side, they were only thinking on their son's safety. Chris was planning something, why else would he have been hiding in Valhalla during all that time.

It had always been a mystery to the sisters where he was staying, they had questioned him about it several times and he'd always say that his accommodation did not concern them. At that moment the secret had been mildly annoying but immediately disregarded but now Piper understood, that bastard had been there the whole time, hiding, plotting how could they have missed it?. Well, she would end the problem.

Chris looked horrified as Piper flicker her wrists at him again releasing a power that would most certainly end his life. Murdered by his own mother was not how he planned to end his mission, hell murdered in general didn't fit into his plans. He would have to do something drastic. In one second he considered his possibilities and it all came down to the same, the answer was rather simple. He wouldn't be able to save Wyatt if he was dead. Throwing caution to the wind, he used his own power to stop the killing blow. Concentrating, he released his own power.

The sisters could not understand why Leo had suddenly decided to orb in front of Piper's attack, but the shock of seeing the Elder dissolve into thousands of orbs kept them from actually thinking about it or even reacting. Why was he protecting the same man he'd been trying to kill half a second earlier?

And the surprises just kept coming. The sight of Leo's intervention froze them faster than Piper's power would ever had, however the youngest Charmed One was almost immediately forced to move.

"Crystal!" Paige orbed one of the crystals into her hand immediately disabling the cage. "What the hell!" Why had she done that! The witchlighter had meant to run towards Leo who was just starting to reform when she had the irresistible need of orbing one of the crystals to her. It wasn't something she thought of, nor was it something her brain could process, she simply had to do it and therefore did it.

Before any of them had the time to react Chris had orbed out of the manor living nothing but a puddle of blood behind.

The underworld was not known for being a bright and cheerful place. It's inhabitants dressed and some of them even looked accordingly to the decor. That day, although in souch place it was impossible to tell whether it was day or night, was not different if anything the activity had increased. Screaming could be heard echoing through the cavernous passage closely followed by dark laughter. It appeared to be a celebration, for there were demons pouring out the walls and every crack in the floor, creatures that could have come out of people's worst nightmares were roaming about in great excitement and anticipation.

One clocked figure remained oblivious to the flurry of activity. The day of Herid was celebrated every ten years, one of the main demonic hallowed days in which they remembered one of the most important witch exterminations of history.

Witches hated that celebration, mainly because it included a week of rituals and sacrifices as a preparation for the final day, when the main offering would be presented to the darkest gods in hope of receiving a blessing. So it was quite a shock for the underworld in a whole when the second day had almost passed without interruption from the Charmed Ones.

The tall figured was intrigued by this, he was sure the Charmed Ones would have made an attack that very day, yet it never came. What could have stopped them? He knew for a fact that the Charmed Ones were aware of Herid Day. After all they had known the first time, he frowned, or they would have.

"What is that brat doing?"

"What the hell just happened?!" Piper was near hysterical. Why had her former husband and her sister released Chris just when she was about to finish him? "what were you thinking?" she turned furiously to her sister. Leo would answer later, after all he'd just been blown up. Even under the current circumstances Piper could manage some simpathy.

"I...I don't kow!" she stammered lamely, "I wasn't thinking, I just...I couldn't help it. He was there and so was I, and I wanted to help Leo...so I"

"So you let Chris escape!"

"Piper calm down! I don't think it's her fault." Phoebe had sensed it if only for a second. A power so similar yet so different. She couldn't let Piper take out all of her frustration on poor Paige. If what she was thinking was right then Paige couldn't have help freeing Chris.

"What do you mean?" Leo was looking at her confused, the incident had left him shaky, not just for being hit by Piper's power, which even though he was dead still hurt, but by his sudden loss of will. He knew Paige was feeling something similar, her lost puppy expression showed it. Tiredly they sat down in the old couch waiting for the feeling to pass.

"I think Chris made you guys do that."

"Of course he did, see! I told you he was evil. He is playing mind tricks on us, using Leo as a shield, using Paige to set him free. We have to stop him." Piper went to the center of the attick and started resetting the candles on the floor after they had been knocked over in the conmotion.

"Piper, what are you doing?" Paige was still out of it while trying to process what was going on around her. She felt strangely detached from her surroundings.

"We are going to bring him back so I can finish what I started." She was stubbornly attempting to get the circle back in place, holding the candles so hard that a few of them had split in half.

"Piper stop.! You have to take a minute and relax, Paige and Leo are not up to it right now and frankly neither are you" Phoebe was still going over her idea in her brain but if she was right then Chris was more dangerous than they'd imagined.

"I'm perfectly fine!" another innocent candle fell victim of Piper's wrath.

"No you are not, you are not thinking straight right now sweety. So take a deep breath, calm down, go to Sheila's for Wyatt while I look something up. Then we can work on this toghether." Piper jumped at the mention of Wyatt, she had completely forgotten about her baby! The mother was gone from the attick almost before Phoebe finished speaking.

"What are you thinking? How can Chris make us do something?" Paige had recovered part of her self-control and was full of questions.

"I think he's an empath" Stunned silence followed the statement. "You know like me! Although not really like me I'm...uh...not sure about that part, maybe like me but with more practice. Like...I read once that an empath could not only read emotions but actually plant them in people's minds. Similar to mind control but not really. It's more like planting a need into someone, a nudge. Isn't that cool? No? Ok then. I thought it was, maybe someday I'll be able to do it too. Although it might not be cool if someone is doing it to you. Anyway, I think he is an empath." She breathed deeply after ending her long babble. It was exciting seeing an ability that could eventually be hers.

"Soooo, an empath? Ok, that makes it now two powers!" Paige was deeply offended, was she the only witch with only one power!.

"He must have stolen them!." As Leo's confusion receded his anger returned, that bastard made him protect him! Chris stole that power from another witch and was using it to get to Wyatt, he could probably even convince them to give Wyatt to him without a fight. The thought was terrifying.

"I don't know, that control requires time, years of practice even. He must have it since he was a kid, that's probably why I've never been able to get a reading out of him, he used his own empathy to block mine."

"So what do we do? And why did you send Piper away?"

"I really thought she needed to calm down. We can't just summon Chris unless we know what he is capable of."

"And we shouldn't kill him." Paige stated matter-of-factly.

"What! Paige you saw what he did." Leo could not believe it. After everything she was still trying to protect him.

"Yes I saw. We tried to kill him and he defended himself. Without hurting anyone may I add." Leo snorted at that.

"Without hurting!"

"Leo don't be a baby, you are already dead it's not like it could have killed you!"

"It is truth Leo, I mean had he made Paige orb in front of Piper she would have died."

"Please Phoebe! He needed Paige to orb the crystal away!" the Elder was not listening to reason he wanted to make Chris as a villain and nothing could stop him. And God knew the kid was not doing things easier.

"You know what guys, I'll go check on Piper" And without waiting for an answer she orbed away to where she knew Chris would be.

Chris orbed back to his hut, hoping to find Lily thinking she'd be scared after seeing her father disappear. The witchlighter landed in a heap in the floor. The shoulder injuries were shooting waves of pain through his whole body and the blood wouldn't stop flowing. He knew that getting hurt was especially dangerous with his condition, bleeding wounds in particular as the blood wouldn't just coagulate. Even more if there was no one around to heal him.

"Chris!" he could easily recognize that voice. Mist was apparently waiting for him. "What happened? Who did this?" the concern was evident. But Chris didn't have the energy to answer, he just let Mist guide him over to his bed. "Chris can you hear me?Chr.." a flurry of orb lights interrupted her, revealing a surprised Freiya and a crying Lily.

"Daddy!" the little girl had orbed to her father the moment she'd sensed him, and since the queen valkyrie had her in her arms she'd been orbed as well. The moment Freiya moved over to the bed Lily jumped away from her and to Chris' uninjured side.

"Mist, what happened?"

"I don't know. I was here waiting for him when he orbed in looking like that. He hasn't been able to answer my questions." As she spoke she was firmly pressing a piece of cloth to his wound, unsuccesfully attempting to stop the blood flow.

Freiya could recreate in her mind the events. The Charmed Ones must have taken him, she already assumed that much thanks to Mary. One of them, probably the oldest one basing in the injurie, attacked him before he had a chance to escape. Guilt was invading the valkyrie, if she had listened to Mary Chris wouldn't be hurt. They could have got him out unharmed if only they had tried, but she had convinced herself that he could do it alone, and he could otherwise he wouldn't be on that bed. He'd be dead, she honestly thought they wouldn't hurt him. But they did. Good witches didn't hurt other witches! Sadly a mother's protectivness was something Freiya could not understand.

"Why is my daddy sleeping?" Lily's big, green eyes were red from crying. Wide in fear and concern they sought confort in Freiya and Mist.

"He is hurt sweety, but don't worry we are going to help him. And he'll be fine soon." That soft side was not common in a valkyrie but Lily inspired sweetness, and not even the female warriors were able to resist her. Just then Mary ran into the room assuming correctly that Lily had orbed there, she gasped at the sight of Chris.

"The Charmed Ones?"

"What?! They did this? Why?" Mist was shocked, they were good witches, and she'd liked Piper, when she met Chris' future mother she found her kind and caring. Not at all capable of something like that. She looked at Chris full of sadness, his mother had done that to him.

"Mary, go get water, herbs and bandages! We need to stop the bleeding." Freiya was worried, the wound shouldn't bleed that much. Mist was already using the fifth piece of cloth. When Mary returned Mist took Lily in her arms and made room for Mary and another valkyrie that followed her to work.

Half way through the cleaning the intruders alarm started sounding.

A/N: Another chapter done. And I think you can all imagine just who the intruder is! And also I presented the villain! I'm so happy the story is finally moving along. I hope you liked Chris' escape, it wasn't something elaborated nor an epic battle but don't worry I have a face of planned for Chris and the Charmed Ones (and Leo). So let me know what you think.

I was so happy with the reviews that I will mention each one individually:

Brilliance of the Moon: Thank you for your reviews, I hope you like what I'm doing with your challenge.

Toughchick27: Evil is my middle name! I don't know what my parents were thinking really. I'm glad you like, please keep up with your reviews.

guardian music angel: I'm glad you liked the cliffie, what do you think of this one?

devstar: Well they haven't met her yet but they will soon, very soon.

lizardmomma: Thank you for your review, let me know what you think of this chapter.

xcharmedgirl4evax: well you saw what happened, did it fill your expectations, please say yes!

criminally charmed: I had to stop writing, just like now. I wanted to keep going, I'll try to update as soon as posible.

Spirock: NO don't die! your spirit won't be able to type and live me reviews, or will it?

mclaughlin: I have to say I loved your ideas! But in my story Chris is half whitelighter not half Elder, I assumed that since Leo and Piper broke up after he was made an Elder, original Chris would have been conceived before that. when I write a changed future story Chris will be more powerful. Still I will give him more powers than he showed in the show, they did make him look weak. and I always wondered why? he has the power Prue had and no one would have thought of calling her weak! I mean unfair!.

SylvanSpirit: Twisted yes! But don't think of it as Piper logic, is more a mother's logic. and trust me you'll see more of that.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: His daughter fixed it

The all too familiar forest was the first thing Paige saw as she arrived at her destination. Valhalla was as beautiful and full of life as it had been the first time she saw it, the only difference was that now she wasn't looking for her lost ex brother in law but for his injured whitelighter. But what if she was wrong and Chris hadn't orbed there. Then she would have orbed to a forbidden territory for no reason after she and her sisters had promised to stay away and keep them a secret. Paige had the impression that the valkyries would not be very forgiving if she was found there again. In and out would be the best approach.

"Ok then, if I were Chris where would I be?" she was making her way to what she remembered to be the residential area. Thinking that if Chris had been living there for some months the valkyries should have assigned him a house, or hut. That was if he had in fact been living there. It made sense, after all he certainly seemed to know them when he helped them save Leo, but if the Elder was right and he had kill three of them, why would they take him in?.

She didn't have a lot of time to ponder because she soon found herself surrounded by angry looking valkyries, all ready to attack the new threat. Paige tried a friendly smile, maybe if she didn't look dangerous they wouldn't hurt her. The women's faces were anything but friendly.

"Yep, big mistake."

Chris was somewhat awake. He could tell his daughter was around but everything else seemed foreign. Except the pain, he was very aware of the pain in his shoulder pulsing with every heart beat. He tightened the hold on Lily, she was the only thing keeping him conscious, his link to the outside world.

Feeling her father's grip grow stronger Lily moved from her former position by Chris's side to face him. "Daddy?"

"Chris can you hear me?" was that Freiya? Yes, it sounded like her. He relaxed slightly realizing that he had arrived at his intended destination. The Charmed Ones wouldn't find him there, he was sure that Freiya would have reinforced the protection around the island after he'd been summoned. At least he was safe for the moment, but without a doctor or a whitelighter to heal him he was sure he wouldn't last for long. "Chris?"

"Right here." A soft whisper was all he could get out. He opened his eyes and looked for the source of the voice. Freiya moved Lily to the side so she was now facing Chris.

"Chris, listen to me. We can't stop the bleeding so you need to tell us if they hit you with a potion or casted a spell on you, do you understand what I'm saying?" Freiya was talking slowly and straight to his face, trying to determine whether he was listening or not. He seemed conscious but not very alert. "Chris?"

"Nothing, no potion." Another whisper was all the answer they received.

"What can we do Freiya? This is not working." The valkyrie Mary looked questioning at her leader.

"I don't know." Freiya was lost, if it wasn't magic then why was he there bleeding to death?, the wound was serious but didn't look lethal.

"Daddy!" Lily was crying again, she was expecting her father to open his eyes and tell her everything would be ok, instead he closed them again. She could feel something was wrong, her father was right in front of her yet she could barely sense him, just like it had happened with her Auntie Peyton and after that she'd... "Daddy, please!"

Mist looked at the scene helplessly, there was nothing she could do to help either of them, and what if he died, what would become of Lily?.

"Oh my god! Chris!"

The valkyries and Lily turned to the door looking for the person that was screaming. Chris had easily recognized the voice and sighed annoyed, so much for the safe place.

Paige was struggling against the two valkyries that were restraining her. Whatever sense of self preservation she had was forgotten after the state her whitelighter was in. All the blood, she couldn't believe it, had Piper really done that?

"Let me go! Chris!"

"What is she doing here?" Freiya was relived at the distraction, even if it was only temporary. An intruder was good, she could take care of an intruder, and it gave her something to do other than watching her friend die.

"She was found braking in. It's one of the Charmed Ones, what should we do with her?" Paige looked briefly at the valkyries in the room and saw that they had some ideas about what to do with her. Regardless to that she kept fighting her captors.

"Please, is he...?" she trailed of, somehow she didn't think she could finish the sentence.

"He is alive. Why are you here? We made it clear that you and your sisters were not to return."

"I was looking for Chris, he was hurt and I wanted to make sure he was alright." Paige wavered a bit, the queen valkyrie could be quite intimidating especially when there was no one with her to help.

"Does he look alright to you?" Mist was furious and the young woman in front of her was a good way to release her frustration at her inability to help, even if she wasn't the direct responsible.

"Mist!" the warning tone in Freiya's voice didn't go unnoticed.

"My apologies." Mist bowed and returned to her previous position by Chris's side.

"You should leave witch."

"No! I want to help." Paige planted herself stubbornly.

"Can you heal?" Mary interrupted whatever Freiya was about to say.

"No, but I could look for another whitelighter. Or an Elder, I know Leo won't help but there are others." Even as she said it she saw the improbability of the concept. The Elders wouldn't help and it wouldn't be easy finding a whitelighter willing to walk into Valhalla.

"You can't help...but you can stay." The despair in the witch's face was evident. And even if her sisters didn't agree with her decision the witch was soon released from the guard's grasp.

Paige ran to Chris's side and only then she noticed the little girl. Something rather familiar about her but as much as she tried she couldn't place it. She decided to think about it later, right then she had other things on her mind.

"Chris can you hear me?" yes he heard, he couldn't answer but he heard every word, and frankly he couldn't believe it. There was concern in her voice. Concern for him. She could feel his presence getting weaker, as she could see the little girl growing more and more agitated. Who was she? And just like that her answer came.

Lily chose that moment to throw herself at her father's chest, crying inconsolably. "Daddy."

"What! Did you say daddy?!" she heard it clearly, even if the little voice was muffled by Chris shirt, she could clearly understand the word. She'd said daddy. Daddy! She was his daughter, how had he managed to keep her a secret for so long? And how old was he when he had her?. A daughter!.

Nobody answered her. Lily just kept crying for her father to wake up, and soon Mist had joined her in her tears. There was nothing any of them could do. Paige had tears in her eyes too, and she stood suddenly, she was ready to call for Leo and start begging him to heal Chris. Her mouth was opening when a golden light illuminated the room.

It was coming from the very bed that had everyone's attention. Paige and the valkyries looked on shocked as Lily's tiny hands glowed brightly, giving her features and angelic radiance.

Without even realizing, she was healing him. Slowly the wound closed up and Chris opened his eyes surprised at the lack of pain. Looking around the first thing he saw was Lily holding onto his shirt for dear life. When she felt him move she lifted her head from his shoulder.

"Daddy!" this time it has a cry of happiness, he was fine, he wouldn't live like her Auntie had.

"It's ok, I'm ok." He held her firmly as she cried while looking around the room. Mist, Freiya, Mary and another valkyrie whose name Chris couldn't remember were there., but the presence that really disturbed him was the one staring at him as if he'd grown two extra heads. "Paige."

"Leo where did Paige go?" Phoebe had been calling her little sister and she refused to answer. At first she just assumed Paige was offended or angry at them for ignoring her when she said Chris was innocent, but then realized she would come angry or not in case there was an emergency.

"She went to get Piper." The Elder had decided to stay in the manor for precaution if Chris decided to return. He needed to be there for Wyatt as he was sure Chris would orb in and attack them at any moment.

"No she didn't, I just got of the phone with Piper and Paige is not with her." Phoebe was worried now. What if she was in trouble?

"Son of a bitch!" Leo swore loudly.

"What?" That outburst was unexpected.

"Chris must be controlling her, and made her go to him."

"What! He is not here, how could he control her without being in the same room?"

"I don't know but why else would she have lied? She said she was going to get Piper, and you know Paige wouldn't just leave like that. We have to follow her before he hurts her!"

"But where?" She wasn't convinced, Paige was known for acting without thinking and making rushed decisions.

"Valhalla" He took her hand and orbed both of them to the hidden island.

A/N Well another chapter and finally someone knows about Lily! And now Leo and Phoebe are on their way, Valhalla is getting crowded don't you think?

Brilliance of the Moon: Yes I would love a beta, but I've never had one so you'll have to explain the process to me. Thanks for the offer, a few months ago I got a virus in the computer and lost everything, including my word processor and the new one is terrible, it started correcting on its own and kept changing every word, it kept writing robbing instead of orbing! I still don't know if I managed to fix all the mistakes.

So thank you and with luck this will be the last un-beta chapter!!!


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six: She remind me of...**

An uncomfortable silence had set in the hut. Its inhabitants were all deep in thought, one big secret had been revealed, and neither of them knew how to react. Chris was giving all of his attention to the crying little girl; trying to comfort her while Paige kept her eyes fixed on him. She was observing so intently that she appeared to have stopped blinking at one point.

Only one sentence kept running through her mind. Chris had a daughter! He had a daughter and neither of them knew about her, it was unbelievable, a child is not something that could be easily hidden yet Chris had managed to do it. He'd done it for months! So that's where he was every time he didn't respond to their calls, where he spent his free time when he wasn't out chasing demons. She couldn't get over the shock, he was not just her neurotic, obsessive and sarcastic Whitelighter, no, and he was someone's father. That girl's father.

"What's her name?" Paige finally asked him, she figured someone would have to break the silence eventually, why no she? Chris looked at her unsure, she wasn't angry, he could only sense confusion from her. Well maybe anger would come next.

"Lillian." A short reply but revealing her middle name would mean telling her that they were Halliwells, after all Melinda was not a common name. Her last name was of course completely out of question. "She prefers Lily."

Paige moved closer to them, the valkyries that surrounded her immediately attempted to seize her but they were prevented from doing so by Chris.

"It's ok. Let her stay." He looked at Freiya for support, if they thought Paige was a threat they wouldn't let her stay no matter what he said, she nodded at him and made her sisters leave. Mist was the only to remain. Freiya didn't try to force her, knowing it would only lead to a confrontation.

"Hi, Lily." The child moved slightly to face the new arrival without letting go of Chris. After a short inspection she realized the women reminded her of someone, her warm smile inspired confidence. She wanted to speak to her but she remembered her mother and father telling her not to speak to strangers no matter how innocent they looked. Not knowing what to do she came closer to her father. He smiled at her encouragingly, indicating that she could speak to the strange women, she wasn't dangerous.

"Hi." She spoke in a soft, timid voice. Paige's heart instantly melted.

"I'm Paige, a friend of your father." Freiya quirked an eyebrow at that claim and Mist would have snorted had it been in her nature. Chris said nothing.

Lily uncovered her face completely to investigate the women in front of her. Paige's smile got wider, the child was beautiful. Her brown hair, a bit darker than Chris's, was straight with soft curls at the end, her eyes were identical to those of her father, soulful and intense; they were a bit red from all the crying but still sparkled.

A sudden thought entered her mind. "How old are you?"

"I'm five." Lily answered proudly as any child does when considers to be old and wise.

"And how old are you?" with an open mouth she shifted her attention from daughter to father.

"Err, well I'm...twenty two." He answered fighting back a blush that threatened to cover his face. Why was that everyone's first question? Sure he'd been young, sure he should have been careful but couldn't people get over that already!

"You were seventeen!" He'd been a kid himself when he became a father.

"Paige I don't think this is the time or the place." Glancing around he could see both valkyries listening to everything that was being said. It wasn't that he didn't trust them, he'd come to trust them with his life and Lily's, but there were things that should not be discussed in front of them. The age he'd been when he conceived his daughter was one of them. "What are you doing here?" Since he was the reason for her arrival, interrogating her was his responsibly.

"I came to see if you were ok. What happened back there was...it wasn't what we wanted, it...things got out of hand Chris, we wanted answers that was it. I'm sorry; it wasn't supposed to be like that." Guilt was evident in her face and in her voice. She genuinely regretted her actions, even if she hadn't physically been the one to attack him.

"I doesn't matter Paige." He said softly. The truth was that being blown up by his mother didn't hurt as much as the hatred she felt towards him.

"Yes it does! We wanted answers; we never meant to hurt you. I swear!"

"You shouldn't lie Paige. Piper and Leo had every intention to kill me and you know it as well as I do." His voice was now hard and angry.

"Right, you're an empath, you sensed it. But Chris, they were worried about Wyatt. You have to understand, they consider you a threat to their son. I mean how would you react if someone tried to hurt Lily?"

"I'd be furious; however, Paige the difference is that I wasn't trying to hurt Wyatt. I told you, I just want to protect him." How could he get it through their thick skulls, he was not trying to hurt his brother?

"I know." The conviction in her voice was confusing, she wasn't trying to calmed him down, she meant it, and it wasn't her face, thanks to his empathy he could sense that she wasn't lying. Paige truly trusted him.

"You know? Does that mean you...?"

"I believe you. I might still be the only one, but I know you are telling the truth." Chris was surprised and touched. Apparently Paige's instincts were sharper than he'd thought, he wasn't completely alone. However, he was unable to express his gratitude as another alarm started to sound. "What is that?"

"The alarm, someone is trying to enter Valhalla." With that, Freiya ran out of the hut followed closely by Mist.

----------------------------

"Ouch!" Phoebe landed hard in the floor of the manor, Leo at her side tangled in his elder robes. They'd been trying to orb to Valhalla but something kept rejecting them and sending them back. After five attempts Phoebe was covered in bruises from the rough landings, yet Leo was not to be deterred, he grabbed her hand and orbed once again.

Same result.

"Leo stop! We obviously can't do it. Stop before I get a concussion from all this banging."

"Phoebe don't you realize the seriousness of this? We have to get Paige back; God knows what Chris is doing to her." Leo hadn't changed his mind at all. He was convinced that Chris was using his mind tricks on Paige, maybe trying to make her get Wyatt for him.

"Leo I honestly think Chris can't do anything right now, or didn't you see he was hurt." Phoebe had a severe case of guilt, she hadn't wanted to hurt him, but she hadn't done anything to stop her sister either.

"It was a shoulder wound Phoebe; I doubt he'll be permanently maimed." Clearly annoyed Leo orbed again only to land face first on the floor. Whatever barrier had been placed around Valhalla was not going to disable any time soon.

"Even so! And Leo he might not be hurting her at all. I think Paige trusted him for a reason; otherwise she wouldn't have gone after him. I say we wait for Piper to come back with Wyatt and, who knows Paige could return on her own." As if to prove her words Paige materialized in front of her.

"I'm back." A nervous smile played in her lips. After realizing who the intruder could be she had said good bye to Chris and promised to return later, once her sisters were calmer, or asleep. Risking a glance at Phoebe she noticed she'd probably had to go for the later. "And I'm so sorry for leaving like that."

"And you should be! What were you thinking orbing away like that?!" Leo's anger was such that Phoebe couldn't block all of it out, and she ended up yelling at Paige.

"I was thinking that Piper could have killed Chris." Paige defended herself not sure why Phoebe was so angry, she felt just as guilty, what has changed?

"You should have told us! What if he'd hurt you? You should have asked."

"So you could say no? And last time I checked I wasn't a kid who needed her older sister's permission to get out of the house!" That was too much, she had the right to make her own decisions, and they'd been over that many times before. Many fights had gone by and they still saw her as a helpless child?

"You know that bastard could have manipulated you into hurting Wyatt!" Paige blinked at her, those weren't her sister's words, and she'd never call Chris that. Sure she'd been angry at him for lying but she had a limit, although she'd heard someone saying that before, turning around she noticed Leo standing behind her. Seeing what was happening, she took Phoebe's hand and orbed them both to her room, away from the Elder and his emotions.

"Feel better?"

"Yes, thanks, he was giving me a headache." Phoebe sat heavily on the bed and waited for an explanation now that her emotions were the only ones in her head. Sometimes being an empath sucked.

"I still think Chris is telling the truth. I'm sorry but I do." She expected Phoebe to be angry at her, not to agree.

"I think so too. When he was here I sensed something from him, only for a second, but it was there. He felt so...betrayed, so hurt by our actions. A guilty man wouldn't feel that. I know that now, we were wrong. Piper was not thinking clearly, if we give her time she'll come around." Phoebe smiled at Paige. Now they were to against the world.

Paige felt so relieved she would have laughed She hated going against her sisters and she know it'd be easier if at least Phoebe was on her side. She told her she'd gone to Valhalla, and she explained everything she saw. Phoebe, however, became fixated in one detail.

"A daughter!? What's her name? How old is she? And how old is he? He must be around twenty and he has a daughter! Is she beautiful? Is she cute? Will he bring her over?" Several squeals followed that last question. Paige was grinning madly.

"She is beautiful, her eyes are just like his, really so... Her name is Lily and she is five, can you believe it? He was seventeen when he had her, seventeen! I couldn't believe it, so young, but he seemed to have done a good job with her. She's the sweetest thing in the world, so cute and innocent, you just want to hug her and keep her in your arms. And she reminds me of someone, I'm not sure who though." Her face took a pensive expression as she tried to remember.

"Yes, yes but is he bringing her over?" Phoebe wanted to see the girl that had made such an impression in her little sister.

"I don't know, maybe if we stop trying to kill him he will." A mocking smirk at her sister obsession was cut short as she suddenly remembered.

"Then it's settled. We stop trying to kill Chris so he can bring his daughter to visit. Right? Paige, are you listening to me?" Completely ignoring the question she raced out of the room only to return before Phoebe could see what was happening and follow her. She had a photo album in her hands, Piper's old photo album. Paige bounced over to Phoebe and sat in the bed. "What is that?"

"I told you she reminded me of someone!" She was flipping through the pages frantically. It was one of the first ones. "I looked at the photos just a few nights ago, that's why the memory is fresh!"

"What memory?" Had her sister lost her mind? They were talking about Chris's daughter and Paige starts looking at the old family album?

"Here! This is who she reminds me of! See? Lily looks like this but with green eyes and longer hair!" She happily pointed at the picture, her mind would finally relax now that she found the photo she wanted, she'd been obsessing over it since she first saw Lily.

"But" Phoebe was perplexed.

"What?"

"That is a picture of Piper. From when she was a child.

A/N another chapter done! Tell me what you think of it please, now Paige is about to find out who Lily and Chris really are! In the end I didn't take the whole family to Valhalla, I don't want to race through the story, so one step at the time.

Thanks to my Beta Brilliance of the moon, there's finally someone to take care of my mistakes! Everything in life should be like this. So let's thank her together.

And thanks to all of my reviewers.

guardian music angel: I'm glad you are liking the story so far.

SylvanSpirit: It did'n get crowded, but who knows, maybe in the future it will.

Secret Thought: As I said, maybe in future chapters...

xcharmedgirl4evax: I wrote two chapters in two days! That's a record for me. Sadly I'm starting a new job so all updates will be reserved to the weekends.

El Neneo: yes, she is sweet, but just wait until she meets the rest of the family (especially the women who hurt her father)

Mstl: Yes I decided that Leo could heal, after is there anything more innocent and pure than a child?

Brilliance of the Moon: And here's my beta. I hated Leo too at times. Like how he reacted when Chris took that demon that scanned for evil, unreasonable!. And it made sense that Paige would be the first to see the truth, even if Phoebe is the psychic.

criminally charmed: Phoebe went a bit mushy but she hasn't met Lily yet so you'll have to wait to read her children babble, and there will be babble!. And Leo and Piper... they are going to feel VERY sorry. Now I sound like a villain.

If I'm forgetting someone I'm sorry, it's been a crazy week! Also I just realized that the small stars I've been adding to separate the scenarios had not been uploading! I'm so so sorry for that, thanks Brilliance if the moon for telling me!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The small hut was empty but for two people. After all the movement from the afternoon its two occupants were finally left alone to think about what had happened.

Despite his near dead experience Chris felt incredible happy, his little girl had healed him. She could heal, something not even he could do, something not even the twice blessed could do. Fatherly pride filled him as he thought about Lily; she was everything he could ever ask for and more, the biggest gift Bianca could have ever given him. He could only imagine just how amazing and beautiful she'd be once she'd grown, sadly he realized he would have to imagine for he would not be there to see her.

"Shh, Lily, it's alright, I'm OK." The little girl had jumped onto her father's chest again after the woman had left, and refused to let go. The tears were slowly stopping, but a few of them still rolled down her cheeks. Chris' shirt was practically soaked in them but otherwise in one piece, Lily's power had erased all of the blood and even the hole it had was gone. "It's ok, I'm here."

"I couldn't feel you!" She chocked out and held Chris' shirt tighter as if afraid he would suddenly vanish into thin air.

"Shh, it's ok, I'm fine, see?. I'm not leaving you." He spoke quietly while stroking her hair attempting to relax her. "I'm not leaving you."

"Promise?" she looked up to him with red and puffy eyes, eyes filled with fear.

"I promise. I'll never leave you." Chris smiled at her, deep down he felt furious at himself for lying to her, and he was lying, because even if his mission was a success, which he was beginning to doubt, he would have to leave alone her in the end.

His illness was something he tried to ignore most of the time, as if pretending it didn't exist would make it go away. But it didn't, it was always there altering every part of his life. He remembered clearly the day when he had finally told Bianca, and even thought she didn't say anything he could tell she was thinking how much time he'd have left. And his health was a lot better back then, after the two of them had gone into hiding with Lily he was forced to stop receiving any treatment. Chris couldn't let Wyatt's demons see him if he tried to go to a hospital. And now that he was in the past?

His guilt multiplied when he saw her smile, relieved. She truly believed him, every word that came out of his mouth, and why wouldn't she? He was after all her father, the one to protect her and take care of her, the one person that was always there for her. Why would Chris be anything but honest with her? He was used to lying, it practically came as a second nature to him, but not once had he lied to Lily, not when he took her to the past, not even when her mother died. The honest approach was always his choice, yet here he was. Lying to the most important person in his life.

"Is she gone?" Mist and Freiya were back at his hut after realizing that the intruders would not be able to enter Valhalla, both having a pretty good idea of who the intruders were.

"Yes, but she said she'd be back later." Chris kept stroking Lily's soft hair, while using his empathy to calm her down, a trick that always worked whenever she was upset about something. It wasn't the most ethical thing but she really needed to rest. Soon she was asleep in his arms.

"And that's alright with you? She saw Lily, she knows who she is." Mist was not sure the witch could be trusted, personally she wanted to lock her up in cage and leave her there, but somehow she didn't think Chris would agree to that.

"That's irrelevant. She doesn't know who we really are, and I don't think they'll figure it out any time soon. But still, even if she does realize, I need her to come back. She trusts me, and I need at least one of them on my side to do this, otherwise I'll never get close to Wyatt again."

"I understand that, right now your mission has to be our priority. We'll accept the Charmed One in our land if you wish, let me know when she wants to come; we'll need to lower the barrier so she can enter." Freiya left but she was evidently not pleased with the result of the conversation, even if she did understand Chris' point she was no happier with the witches than Mist was. Still she was a leader and she would put her own emotions a side when necessary.

Mist remained behind even after her sister left. A conversation was in order, and with Lily sleeping, Chris had no way of avoiding it.

"What happened with the Charmed Ones?" straight to the point. He knew Mist well enough as to have expected that.

"We had a small disagreement, clearly, and Piper lost her temper." A deep sigh followed that statement. "But there was more to it, they were angry before they summoned me, they probably found out I was here somehow. This means they know I was the one that brought Leo here." He rubbed his eyes tiredly, Piper was definitely going to blow him up the next time she saw him, and getting close to Wyatt was out of the question.

"You said Leo already knew, so it won't change things too much."

"He knew but he didn't have proof, now he does or might as well. Besides now the sisters believe him, before they just thought he was being paranoid and jealous." Yep, he was screwed.

"Do you think he'll go to the Elders?" Chris startled at the idea, why hadn't he thought of that? Of course Leo would go to the Elders, he would convince them he was evil and have his soul recycled, or he would send him back to the future. Either way he was dead and the mission was ruined.

Lily stirred slightly when her father, who was currently acting as her pillow, jumped at Mist's words. Chris disentangled himself from her grip and placed her softly in the bed while he quietly stood up. After using her healing powers for the first time in her life the little girl was logically tired, she'd be out for a few hours. Chris signaled for Mist to follow him outside, there was no reason to disturb Lily's rest and they would speak more freely in private.

* * *

"What does this mean?" The long silence was cut abruptly by Phoebe, who could no longer tolerate it.

"Does it have to mean something? There could be million of girls out there who look like this." It had to be a coincidence, because if there was a connection between Chris and them he would have told them. Right? He was a secretive character but anyways there were things you didn't keep a secret, especially things that could have made his life and his stupid mission a lot easier. Because had Chris been related to them in any way they would have been more cooperative, she was sure of it. And Piper wouldn't have attacked him. Yeah, there was no way they were blood related, and since Bianca was Lily's mother there was no way they were connected through marriage. Besides, for the life of them Halliwells couldn't keep secrets when time traveling. She chuckled remembering the slim incident.

"And just what is so funny?" Phoebe was annoyed again, this could be something serious and here was Paige not being serious!

"Sorry, it's nothing. But really, I think we should keep this a secret, you know from Leo and Piper."

"Why?" The middle Charmed One was concerned, she would have to keep a secret. How on earth was she supposed to do that? And why for that matter.

"Because neither Piper nor Leo are very happy right now." She rolled her eyes at Phoebe for making her explain the obvious.

"Please, I don't care how angry they are, they wouldn't hurt a child. Maybe Chris, but not his daughter."

"Are you sure of that? Phoebe can't you imagine who the mother is?" Why was her sister so difficult?!

"How am I supposed to...Bianca!" eyes wide in realization Phoebe stared at Paige.

"Exactly! Which means the girl is also a Phoenix, you know that Elders are not fond of that particular coven even if they are witches, and Leo is an Elder, a very pissed of one!"

"Still they are good and pacifists for crying out loud! They wouldn't kill an innocent kid." Still her voice held doubt, Phoenix witches had demonic powers and Chris wasn't their favorite person, all those things combined could cause an unpleasant reaction.

"It doesn't matter Phoebe! Lily could easily be classified as demonic, and God knows what the Elders will decide to do about Chris. They could try to vanquish her and send him to the future, or send them both to the future where Wyatt will find them and I imagine he is not very happy at Chris, I mean he did send Bianca to drag him back there, and you know Chris never said exactly what happened."

Phoebe looked at her pensively, deciding to ignore the implications of what she said about her nephew she concentrated in the first part. Clearly they were thinking along the same lines. Lily could be considered evil or good depending on how the Elders were looking at the whole business. And without forgetting that they were not the most understanding beings, things were not looking good for the young parent and child. But maybe they were blowing everything out of proportions.

"It could not be that bad, no one knows about Lily but you and me. And the Elders don't know about Chris being in Valhalla. So as long as we keep that a secret we'll be just fine."

"The Elders don't know? And tell me why do you think Leo didn't follow after I orbed us here? Hmm?"

* * *

How could he forget? The second day was gone and he had forgotten to warn the Charmed Ones about the day of Herid. Not that it was his responsibility in the first place, originally Leo had warned them but he could imagine that with all the distractions of the day, the Elders wouldn't have had the time to tell him.

"Freiya I have to go. Can you look after Lily for a while?" the uncertainty in his voice was evident. After talking to Mist, a very hard but necessary conversation, he'd run into Freiya who gave him shocking news.

"Of course, go to the witches. Rest assure, nothing will happen to Lily. I told you I understood." Freiya's face was peaceful but still.

"How long have you known?" he looked at her shamefully.

"A few months."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to upset you, as you clearly are now. I knew you would want to leave, but where would you go? You can't protect Wyatt and Lily at the same time." Chris used his empathy to scan her, was she sincere or was it a trap? But if she knew, then why didn't she say or do something?

"How can you even look at me, how could you accept me in your land after I murdered your sisters?" Chris couldn't keep it in anymore. He was a murderer, they gave him shelter and he betrayed them. He'd always felt guilty about that, maybe he was no better than Wyatt, and apparently she'd known from the beginning. Why hadn't she killed them?

"I told you Chris, I understand about sacrifices. You did what had to be done in order to accomplish your mission. And I can't punish that kind of...conviction. I know you'll be one of our allies in the future, and if we trusted you it was for reason, after the time you've been here I think I realize what the reason is. We've all done things we are not proud of, but you still try to do what's right for everyone." She meant every word.

"I'm so sorry, Freiya I betrayed you, why would you all just forgive me?" It would be easier if she was angry, if she threatened to kill him. But no, she had to say it was alright, say she understood. "I don't deserve your help, or your sisters."

"They don't know Chris, I haven't told them and I don't plan on doing it. I am a lieder, my sisters are my responsibility something greater than myself, many times I've been forced to make hard decisions, choices that went against my own nature but I had to do it for them. You are like me, an implacable person Chris, and it's one of the many qualities you have, ever since I met you I knew you were capable of anything. I respect that, it's why I know you'll succeed, it's why I didn't say anything."

"I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything, go to the Charmed Ones; I'll take care of Lily." And Chris orbed.

* * *

"Leo! Leo get you ass down here! I know you hear me! He is ignoring us, can you believe that?" Phoebe turned to Paige furiously. "If you knew he was going to go with the Elders why didn't you say something?"

"We needed time to talk in private I couldn't tell you about Lily in front of him, and why is everyone yelling at me today!" She went to the kitchen, with all the excitement of the day she'd completely forgotten about lunch. "Would you like something to eat?"

"What?! No I don't want something to eat! I'd like to have Leo right here so I could stop him before he talks to the Elders, I'd like to have Chris here so he could explain what's happening, I don't want food!" her stomach chose that moment to grumble loudly. "Okay maybe I'll have something after all."

"Chris!" Paige started hollering as she busied herself with a sandwich.

"What are you doing?"

"You said you wanted Chris, well I'm getting him for you." An innocent smile played on her face while she handed her older sister her food.

"Do you think he'll bring her?" Phoebe broke into a goofy grin.

A/n I am sooooooooooooooooooooooo sooooooooooorry. It's been so long, but as I was saying Brilliance of the Moon, I've just started my first job so things had been crazy. but worry not, I'm back to stay.

Please leave some beautiful reviews, and next chapter I'll answer each of you personally.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Family meeting.**

It was almost ten o'clock and Piper wasn't back from Darryl's house. Phoebe wasn't too concerned, thinking that Piper could have stayed to chat, the eldest Charmed One certainly needed to relax after the day they've had. Her absense was almost a blessing, it would give them all the time they needed to speak to Chris. Emotions were running high enough as it was.

"How could you hide her from us?" Paige was outraged now that she'd been given the time to process the idea of her annoying whitelighter being a father. As a former social worker she took the well being of children very seriously and she didn't think that being in an island full of warriors was healthy for a little girl.

"I can't reveal too much of the future, Paige." There was not time for that conversation!

"I don't see why telling us that you have a daughter would jeopardize the future! I can't believe you would keep her a secret." Paige was glaring at him, hands on her hips, the food she'd prepared was completely forgotten. "I mean it's your future not ours."

"Exactly, Lily is my future and it doesn't concern any of you. She is my daughter so I had no reason to tell you she was in this time." Lily didn't concern them, he thought sadly, by the time she was born the Charmed Ones were already dead. Lily had never been a part of their lives.

"No reason! And what if you got hurt? How were we supposed to know where to look for her? She'd be left alone outside of her time and no one would have known!"

"Lily is not alone! Even if I'm not always there she always has someone. If anything happened they would have taken care of Lily." Chris remained expressionless, but inside he felt sick. It was one of his main concerns, the reason why he had almost left her behind. But with all the possible risks taking her to the past was still safer than the future.

"You mean the valkyries, right? Why are they helping you? Was Leo right about you?!" Great, he thought furiously, more acusations.

"Believe what you want Paige, since clearly you don't believe me!" He'd had her on his side, or at least that's what it looked like back in Vallhala, why was she turning against him? Could Leo have convinced her already? He should have known it was to good to be truth, but he couldn't just storm off. He answered Paige's call because he had to tell them about Herod's day, and because he wanted to stay away from Freija for a while, although that was for an entirely different matter.

"So you don't deny it?"

"OK, that's enought." Phoebe had been leaning against the counter during the whole argument and she was francly bored of it, so she stood up with a small jump and redirected the conversation. "There are more important things to discus now."

"Like what?" Paige looked perplex at Phoebe. The middle Charmed One was all seriousness, which was not normal for her.

Phoebe ignored her sister and focused on Chris instead, he looked nervous. Had she picked up something with her empathy? That was imposible his own power protected him from intrusions. Then what? Had she figured it out? "Can I meet her? Please say yes! Please!"

"Phoebe!" Paige stared at her sister amazed.

"Come on! You already got to meet her and it's not fair." She pouted at her sister and turned to Chris with begging eyes. "Please, just for a little while."

* * *

In Valhalla Lily woke up startled, her father was not with her, she was sure he'd been close to her but now he was gone. After everything that took place that day the little girl didn't want to be alone.

Without thinking of the consecuences and disregarding her father's instruction she orbed. Straigh to Chris' arms, who happened to have been finishing the explanation of Herod day to the sisters.

"You promised you'd stay with me!" she buried her head in his chest, luckily Chris had good reflexes and was able to wrap his arms around the mass of orbs before Lily landed on the floor.

"Lily! What are you doing here!" Chris asked a bit too sharply. He looked down at his daughter who was at that moment about to start crying again and immediately softened his tone. "Shh it's ok, I'm here."

Phoebe and Paige stood there shocked at the sudden interruption, so shocked that they didn't noticed the second set of orbs at their backs take shape. A very confused and still angry Leo appeared in the kitchen.

"What the hell are you doing here!" he boomed and every occupant of the room jumped startled.

"Leo! That was fast. Where did you go?" Paige loked at him inocently while moving to stand in front of Chris and Lily. Phoebe's mind had apparently turned off, she stayed motionless blinking at Leo and Chris.

"Answer me! What do you think you are doing here?!" he took a few steps and moved aroud his ex sister in law. "Who is that." He asked pointing at the little girl who was at the moment watching him form Chris' arms.

No point in pretending when there he was obviously trapped, Chris answered truthfully for the first time in a long time. "This is my daughter."

* * *

The cheerful laughter could be heard from where he was standing yet he couldn't care less. The happines was making him nervous, it went against his nature an it was even more disconcertating when it came from demons. It was a feeling he never got to experience, a feeling that in the future had become nearly non existing. The demon didn't stop to ponder this. Hiuzzi had his mind ocuppied with other businesses, like finding his past self for example. His memory wasn't the best because as much as he tried he couldn't remember where he'd been that particular day, granted, more than twenty years had passed.

"You are new here, aren't you" Hiuzzi simply ignored the impertinent darklighter that chose to stop his strode to approach him. It was not the moment for interruptions. He was busy and quickly runing out of time, unfortunately for him the darklighter seemed to be taking a day of from his demonic duties. "I am talking to you!"

"And I am trying to ignore you, can't you see that?"

"How dare you speak to me like that!" The darklighter conjured a crossbow and aimed it at the unknown demon. Hiuzzi simply looked at him bored, he waved his hand lazily and the weapon was gone faster than it had come.

The darklighter tried to darkorb away yet found himself rooted to the spot unable to do anything but stand there looking panicked. Hiuzzi conjured a fireball and meditated the posible effects on the timeline if he decided to kill the annoying creature. One darklighter wouldn't make much of a difference, still it was an unnecessary risk. Just as he was about to turn around and leave another thought struck, and the demon clapped himself mentally for his intelligence. If he was going to be outside of his time he would need some help until he found himself, especially if his prey had whitelighter blood. Yes, he thought, this just might be my day.

"I'm not going to kill you so don't be afraid," He spoke merrily and smiled, the darklighter didn't look too conforted by the words. "but in order to repay my...my...mercy, yes mercy, that's the word! In order to repay my mercy you will have to do something for me. Something small yet useful, nothing to flashy, no, no, no. But something that will be very appreciated. What do you think?"

The darklighter nodded slowly thinking that maybe he should have just walked past the extravagant demon when he saw him lurking in the shadows.

"Excelent, off to work then!" he flashed another smile. Had the darklighter ever read Lewis Carrol he would have been reminded of the Cheshire cat.

* * *

"Daughter? You have a daughter?" Leo had momentarely forgotten about his anger, the shock of the revelation distracted for a while from the questioning.

"Yes, Leo. Her name is Lily." Chris sighed tiredly, after almost dieing once that day he was exhausted and in no mood to have an argument with his family.

"And she is beautiful, isn't she Leo?" Phoebe was standing o the other side of the kitchen, making funy faces at Lily. She wasn't getting discouraged by the fact that child kept ignoring her in favor of looking at Leo.

"But you can't have kids! You are a whitelighter, it's against the rules." At this Chris quirked an eyebrow.

"Against the rules? If I recall correctly Leo you currently have a kid of your own. I don't know if you remember but his name is Wyatt. So I don't think you are in any place to judge me." Well his father could be stupid if he wanted! And sometimes without even trying, he thought grimly.

"That was different, Wyatt is special ok? The Elders wouldn't have made an exception otherwise. Piper is Charmed One and...well it's not the same." He finished lamely, looking at Phoebe and Paige for support. He wasn't too surprise to find both sisters glaring at him. "He is whitelighter! There are things that can't be done."

"I am half whitelighter, and just so you know, although is none of your damn business, the Elders from my time didn't have a problem with Lily." Not for the reasons he would have wanted, but still. Chris was resting slightly on the kitchen table, he's already told them what he needed to tell them, if he wasn't to ashamed to face Freiya he would orb back to Valhalla and sleep for a week.

"Chris are you ok?" Phoebe stopped making faces and was staring at him with a worried look. She could sense something about him that scared her, yet her powers were unable to identify what it was. "You don't look so good." Whatever response he had she'd never know.

"Why are you here?" A familiar voice screeched behind her and made them all jump for a second time in a short while. Piper was back with Wyatt sitting on her hip, a furious glare in her face. Chris was sure he would have been blown up hadn't Piper needed her hands to hold Wyatt.

"I had to tell you something, but I've already told your sisters so don't worry I'm leaving."

"No!"

"No!"

Chris blinked surprised, he understood why Paige wanted him to stay, but Leo? That was a new one. The youngest Charmed One was just inches from Chris, and he could easily sense her desire to hold Lily, acting out of instinct he let her hold her.

"Chris stay." The little girl was fairly confortable in the woman's arms so she didn't complain when she was removed from her father's safety. She waited eagerly for her father to say they would stay. As much as she loved her aunts from the island she was bored of always seeing the same people.

"Yes Chris, stay," this time Leo was speaking in an uncaracteric cold tone. "The Elders will send someone for you soon."

"What?!" Phobe cried, she knew Leo was Up There yet somehow she hoped he was just in one of his boring meetings. Paige sighed in a resignated manner, she expected Leo to do something like this but didn't expect it to be so soon.

Piper was simply holding Wyatt, wondering what in the hell was happening and who the girl was. For some reason she felt familiar, almost like a long lost relative. But she was with Chris and that alone was reason to distrust her. It was the same as with Chris, she felt connected, and in trying to deny the connection she went completely the other direction.

"I told them what he did." He had a smug smile. "You are not escaping this."

Chris paled considerably, he wasn't finished with his mission and being sent back to the future would be the end of everything. Feeling the change in her father's emotions, Lily went from Paige's arms to Chris. She shimmered.

"She shimmers?" Leo stared in shock. Piper placed Wyatt on the floor and raised her hands ready to attack, as if expecting Lily to start throwing fireballs at them. Noticing this Chris twisted around trying to shield her from possible danger.

"Yes, she shimmers and she orbs." Christ turned to Paige who wasn't sayin anything.

"She got that from her mother right?" Phoebe asked,, looking surprinsingly unsurprised. The young father noded.

"Her mother? Bianca! She is a Phoenix." Piper was soon realizing who the girl was.

"Yes, she is a Phoenix." Leo made a strange motion, like he wanted to take Lily. Seeing this Chris took a few steps back and Phoebe jumped to stand in the elder's way.

"I think we should all calm down right now! Leo you stay where you are I mean it. And Piper stop it, Lily is a little girl I don't believe she is going to hurt us." The petite woman refused to move from her position. "Now if we..."

Today was the day for the interruptions, Phoebe found herself unable to continue as a portal opened right in front of them. Seconds later a frenzied Valkyrie emerged.

"Chris! Lily is gone, she..." Freiya stopped talking after seeing the lost child was safely in her father's arms. "She orbed away and I thought..."

"Freiya?" Piper looked puzzled at the sudden presence in her kitchen but quickly recovered and went to greet her. "How've you been?"

"Piper." The Charmed One stopped short at the cold tone in her voice. Chris slumped against the table again, fearing that things were about to get very complicated. Lily cuddled closer to her father.

A/N Well I have no excuse, I know it's been a veeeeeeeery long time. And I think we should build a statue for Brilliance of the Moon, first I sent her the chapter without the chapter, and then four days later whenm I decide to check on my mail and I re-send it, I forget half of a sentence! honestly I'm starting to get worried.

All that said please r/r, we finally have the whole familly in the room plus one. And as a small preview I will reveal the ilness in the next chapter, so we don't forget this is a challemge and I have rules to follow.

see you all next update.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: More arguments

"Piper." Freiya didn't return the warm greeting, instead she walked away from her and towards Chris. She warmly placed a hand on the top of her head. "Is she hurt?"

"No, she came straight here." Lily was snuggled against Chris' chest, she smiled at the valkyrie when she aproached her.

"Excuse me, what...?" Piper was trying to get some answers from the two visitors, but they were both ignoring her. The oldest Charmed One was getting anoyed.

"I'm sorry, I don't know how she got pass all the protection spells." Freiya said apologeticaly. She was trying hard to ignore the last conversation she'd had with Chris. Telling him what she knew had never been her intention, she didn't want any weirdness between them, especially if it would cause the other valkyries to become suspicious.

"Can anyone explain what's going on here?" Piper kept looking at everyone in the room, but it was as if she'd somehow became invisible.

"The spells were there to keep people from getting in, not out." He answered Freiya softly, Chris understood perfectly how the spells worked, after all it was he who had cast them. "Maybe you should take her back with you."

Freiya was reaching to take Lily when a voice interrupted her.

"No! That is enough, this is my house and I demand to know what's going on! You can't come in here like you owned the place after I told you to stay away. And you can't bring extrangers into my house without my permission. So you better explain what is happening, Chris! Who is that little girl, why is everyone here and what is the relation between the two of you?! I'm sorry Freiya but no one is leaving until after I say so and if I have to trap you all in a crystal cage I will!" Silence followed Piper's outburst.

Paige and Phoebe looked at her rather shocked, Leo just nodded proudly.

Freiya looked furious, how dare the witch speak to her like that! Especially after what she did to her own son she stood there looking so selfrighteous!

Hadn't it been for Chris' hand holding her arm firmly the Valkyrie would have raced the short space that separated her from the witch and taught her some respect.

Sensing the impending danger Phoebe went to the oldest Charmed One.

"Piper calm down." Her eyes darted nervously between the Queen Valkyrie and the Haliwell matriarch. It was hard to tell which one looked scarier. Choosing the blonde woman, Phoebe hised to Piper's ear. "Are you trying to get her to kill us! Be more respectful!"

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Chris was trying to calm down Freiya. "Shh, she is just upset, ok! Piper doesn't mean to say those things to you. She didn't expect to see me here, or Lily. You know she is not normally like this, you've met her." Knowing his empathy wouldn't work on her, he took desperate measures. "Please," He whispered so no one would hear. "If you kill her then you'll be killing me too, and Lily. Besides, she is a Charmed One, you'll tip the balance to the side of evil!"

"Fine." The valkyrie relented.

"Good, now that we are not about to kill each other, I think it's perfect time for an explanation." Paige forced a calm, cheery voice. "Chris was telling us about something called the day of heroine..."

"Day of Herid." He corrected tiredly, was he really going to have to explain everything again?

"Oh that makes more sense; I was beginning to think we would need to get the demons to group counseling." Phoebe stared at her sister incredously, well at least she was diverting the conversation from Chris and Lily to a less dangerous topic.

"Paige is right," Phoebe looked back at Chris. "You said this was important so we should probably start making some potions, especially if inocents are getting hurt. So..."

"Not so fast." Piper cut her sister. "I still want to know what's going on! Chris?"

Seeing Piper would not let go of the subjet he decided to explain as much as he could without compromising his secret. "This is Lilian, she is my daughter. Mine and Bianca's."

"Yeah thanks, I figured that much! I want to know why you were in Valhalla, was Leo right about you?"

"Piper please, we have other things to worry about now!" Paige begged her oldest sister. She knew, however, it was pointles whenever Piper had something in her mind she would not let go until she was satisfied. Much like a dog with a bone.

"Yes Piper. This can wait." Everyone in the room stared at Leo in shock. "This is one of the things we discused with the other Elders, it is very important that we stop the celebration from taking place. I would have told you sooner but I got...distracted."

"Fine, What is this Herid's day?" She was furious at the lack of support but she was not about to ignore her responsabilities as a Charmed One.

While Leo went on about the meaning of the demonic ritual three people remained a side.

* * *

"Dad?" Lily was still resting against her father's chest. She didn't like the new woman in the room, she was mean and loud and she yelled at her daddy. The little girl wanted to go back to the island with her father and her Aunt Freiya. But Chris didn't seem to want to leave yet.

"Yes, angel?" He asked his daughter. Chris was tired and dizzy, why did Piper had to come back? He only planed on telling Paige about the demonic threat and go away, but not only his mother caught him, oh no his father also arrived. Had he really talked to the Elders? And what would he say about Lily?.

"Can we go? I don't like it here anymore." His heart was breaking, his daughter didn't like being in the family house, well lately he didn't like it either, still it was sad.

"Not right now, soon." He didn't want to see what Piper would do if he decided to take off. "You don't have to stay though."

The last part was meant for Freiya.

"It's all right Christopher, I'll stay." Her tone was cold which meant she was furious and trying to keep her emotions in check. He sighed tiredly, Freiya usually failed whenever she did that.

"Daddy are you ok?" Lily didn't need to use their empathic conection to know something was wrong with Chris.

"Just a bit tired." He really was tired and Lily was not exactly getting lighter. "Freiya can you...?"

The Valkyrie took the little girl in her arms, Lily wasn't pleased by the change but she didn't complain.

Chris laid back against the counter and took a deep breath. His head hurt and his stomach felt odd, he could tell today was not going to be a good day. He felt terrible but he didn't want to worry his daughter any more that he had to and his near death experience had been traumatic enough.

Aparently deep breathing didn't help him feel better for his headache increased suddenly and he lost his balance.

"Chris?"

"Dad?"

The voices around him sounded familiar but they were undistinguishable to him. And then they were gone.

"Chris!"

* * *

The sisters were whispering furiously to each other, Piper convinced that Chris and Lily should be put in a cage was on her way to collect the crystals when they heard two sets of screaming and a loud thump.

"What was that?" she asked startled as she held Wyatt closer to her.

"Chris!" The youngest Charmed One cried and ran to the other end of the kitchen where Freiya was holding a hysterical Lily while kneeling next to Chris' limp form.

"What happened to him?" Now Leo asked moving closer to the fallen witchlighter.

"I don't know!" Freiya answered still trying to calm the child and rouse Chris, she was failing in both tasks.

"Leo heal him!" Phoebe was kneeling next to them, checking Chris for injuries. Other than looking extremely pale and tired he apeared to be unharmed.

Reluctantly, the Elder walked around Phoebe and placed his hands over Chris. The golden glow came and left, yet Chris did not stir.

A/N well it's been an eternity, I know, but I had a lot to study so I hope you can all forgive me. On the bright side, in the next chapter we'll find out the truth about Chris' problem! yeah! I am very excited about it. So thanks to all of those who waited for the chpter. and I would like to thank luv me xoxo GossipGal, who just started reading my story and left a review on every single chapter!!. thank you!

Soon: shock and revelations


	10. To my readers

Hello, first of all this is not an actual update but it is meant to bring good news. I can't exactly explain why I stopped updating, I guess it just happened. Anyway, I am so, so, soooooooo unbelievably sorry for taking so long. On the bright side, I have decided to work hard on this story and finish it. Back when I was writing this, some years ago I had it all planned out, so I will have to reconstruct it but I promise I will finish it.

On a side note I would like to thank coolgirl92 for her message, (it did wonders for my ego and I've been having a complicated couple of months) you were what ultimately convinced me to keep going. So my readers, if you enjoy my story thank her as well!

Since I don't feel I've apologised enough, I am so sorry and I'll understand if you hate me now. Still I promise you will be reading a new chapter soon.


	11. Chapter 10

A/N There are not enough words to apologize, I never meant to leave for so long, but I just couldn't think of another word to write. I hope that at least one of you, readers, is still interested in this story. I went through many fandoms in this years, but Charmed has never truly left me. I WILL finish this story, hopefully not long from now since I am again inspired. Again, so sorry, even more because it's a short chapter, but I know exactly how this is going to end, I just have to get us there.

Chapter 10

Leo placed Chris on the couch and tried to heal him again. It was not working. Lily had stopped crying at some point and simply looked at her father sadly, she was still held secure in Freiya's arms.

It was getting dark and Wyatt had fallen asleep so Piper took him to his bedroom and returned almost immediately. Even with Chris unconscious she though she should keep an eye on him, just in case.

"Why isn't it working?" Phoebe was getting frustrated. Half an hour had passed and there were no signs of improvement. She stopped pacing the living room and sat on the couch, next to the unconscious witchlighter. She trusted her sisters, but Piper was not a her most reasonable. Neither was Leo for that matter.

"I think he is just tired, it's not a physical injury, otherwise it would have healed by now". Leo was not terribly upset, he had tried to heal Chris so he couldn't feel guilty, and if the young man was unable of orbing away when the Elders came for him then all the better.

Still there could be complications, mainly the queen Valkyrie who kept hovering over him like a hawk. He couldn't understand that, they were only supposed to care about Ragnarok, not the doings of one whitelighter and his daughter!

"I will take Christopher and Lilian back with me." Freiya had finally regained her composture and apparently the demanding tone followed soon after. "Your witches have more pressing concerns."

"That is not going to happen." Phoebe sighed, the Charmed matriarch had returned. "I still need an explanation!"

"She is right Piper" Leo added regretfully.

"What?!"

"The day of Herid, it's what I've been trying to tell you." Leo had clearly gone into Elder mode, previous anger temporarily forgotten. "It is a celebration the demons have every ten years to commemorate the destruction of a powerful coven of witches."

"I'm not minimizing or anything, but witches die all of the time. What's so important about that coven?" Paige asked, both intrigued and relieved at the change of topic.

"That coven disappeared over a hundred years ago, and at the time they were the most powerful witches alive, like the Charmed Ones are now. So every celebration the demons kidnap seven witches to be sacrificed, because there seven witches in the coven." Leo realised that he had their attention. "It is very bad, if the ritual is completed then the demon that killed those witches will rise for one night."

"Only one night?" Piper expected something more dramatic, the previous demons certainly had bigger masterplans.

"Piper those witches were as powerful as you and your sisters, if he rises, even if it is for one night he would come for you! The ritual must be stopped before that happens, four witches was already killed!"

"And you didn't think to say something sooner!" Piper had found a new target for her anger, so she didn't notice Chris opening his eyes, in fact nobody but Freiya did. So she very subtly got close to him and signaled for Paige to move away. The youngest Charmed One had one second of conflict, loyalty to her family and guilt at Chris' state fighting for predominance. Finally it was Lily's face that convinced her. She moved away from the couch and directed the attention to herself.

"So if we stop the sacrifices the ritual is ruined?" She was glad to see that the current conversation had Piper's full attention.

"Yes, is what it's always done, the ritual was stopped twenty and thirty years ago, the Elders realised that if the demon leading the ceremony was killed then the ritual couldn't take place. This demon channels the energy in his body and becomes a vessel for the demon to rise for that one night." The Elder was pacing the living room. "The hard part is actually getting to the demon, first we need to find out who he is and then get pass the demons protecting him. There is a spell that you can use in the Book of..." He never finished as Chris, now fully awake orbed himself, Freiya and Lily away.

Hiuzzi was getting anxious, his Lord had given him a week to retrieve the boy and so far he was failing spectacularly, he hadn't even been able to find him! And he had thought that actually capturing him would be the difficult part.

His second problem, ironically, was the lack of Charmed Ones, they were supposed to have killed the vessel two days into the ritual, and four had passed. If the demon rose and killed them then his Lord would be left unprotected, and the who would rule the world?

And just as that thought came to him he realised, maybe being selected to retrieve Chris was more of a blessing than a punishment.


	12. Chapter 11

Hi, beware long A/N coming up:

So first of all, thanks to those of you who waited all these years, I can't believe I left this story alone for so long, and I am terribly sorry, I know how frustrating it is when you find a story you like and it seems to be abandoned. So, I am really, really sorry.

Then, as was pointed out, I should have done a short recap of the story so far, so here it is:

This story came from a prompt found in Brilliance of the Moon's profile and it read

"Chris didn't come back from the future alone the 1st time, in fact he had being in the past for a week before he orbed into Oh My Goddess. Chris has a daughter, Piper Hope Halliwell, and he has to hide her from his family. But when Piper gets ill and he has to look after her, even when he is ill himself after having a relapse of his condition will he be able to keep little Piper and his identities a secret?

Rules:

1. Little Piper can't be seriously ill, she could have the flu or something. For a young child that would be quite bad to her.

2. Chris has something serious like Diabetes or something like that.

3. They don't live at P3, the girls don't know where he lives.

4. Little Piper's mother is Bianca. If calling her Little Piper is a little confusing you could always come up with a nickname or he could call her by her middle name Hope."

I was not comfortable naming Chris' daughter Piper so I asked and was allowed to rename her to Lillian Melinda Halliwell, mainly because I don't like family names as a concept, my family is full of them and also because I was reading a lot of Harry Potter fanfiction at the time.

- So, Chris is living with the Valkyries in Valhalla because they were working together in the future and were considered allies, they take care of Lilly while Chris is dealing with the charmed ones. The story is set after the mess with the order, so Wyatt trusts Chris, Paige is kind of in between and Piper and Leo don't, he is looking into the deaths of the Valkyries and his forced trip to Valhalla.

- The Charmed ones eventually find out about Lily and Piper is distrustful because the girl is half Phoenix (Bianca is her mother).

- The demons are preparing for something called the day of Herid, it's a celebration held every ten years to commemorate the destruction of a coven of seven witches, similar in power to the Charmed Ones. The demons have never managed to complete the ritual which consists in the sacrifice of seven powerful witches and is supposed to resurrect Herid, the demon who originally killed the coven, for one night. Because of the many distraction, namely Chris, the Charmed Ones were not doing anything to prevent the ritual from taking place, though in Chris' timeline they had ended it almost immediately.

- And finally we have Hiuzzi, who was sent to retrieve Chris.

And that's the story so far! Now we can move on to the next chapter:

* * *

"I can't believe this!" the Charmed Ones were once again in the kitchen pouring over the Book of Shadows, well Paige and Phoebe were, Piper was still ranting about Chris' new escape and Leo's most recent disappearance.

"Enough is enough!" Phoebe slammed the Book shut, nearly breaking Paige's finger in her haste, and completely ignoring the outraged expression, both outraged expressions if one wanted to be accurate, she took Piper arm and dragged her to the living room.

"What…" Piper didn't get to finish before she was being pushed to sit on the couch.

"Phoebe!" The youngest Charmed One had followed them a few steps before she figured out what her sister was doing. "You know, it's a lovely day, I'm going to take the Book and get some research done… outside…because it warm and sunny and…yeah" And Book in hand, she was gone.

The Charmed matriarch in the meantime sat there considering what kind of bizarre spell had begun to affect her sisters and who could have casted it. Some form of temporary insanity could also be to blame, maybe they had cracked under the pressure, or maybe…"Phoebe, what are you doing?"

"You are going to sit down…"

"I'm sitting down…"

"Don't interrupt! and talk to me, but really talk because all you have been doing so far is yell! At me, at Leo, at Chris, especially at Chris, and you can't even be honest about what is really bothering you." Phoebe was using her wide brown eyes to their full advantage, knowing they were one of Piper's weaknesses. It truly had gone for long enough, Phoebe could feel her sister's pain and frustration, like a dark ball in the pit of her stomach that only grew larger as the days went by, it was making her unstable, the attack on Chris only proved that.

"Don't be ridiculous. You know what is bothering me! It's Chris and his lies and the fact that my son is in danger and that his father is never here to help and…" She was gesticulating wildly, it was a miracle she wasn't blowing things up, until Phoebe reached out and clasped her hands in hers.

"No Piper, don't forget I can feel your emotions, that's part of the problem yes, but it's not all. And even if I wasn't and empath I'd still be your sister, I know you! I've been by your side for years, I've listened to your problems before, I've seen you cry and laugh, so please just…trust me one more time." The middle sister begged, kneeling in front of Piper, maybe thinking that if she didn't give her room to move she would finally stop avoiding the truth. "What is it?"

Piper was done trying to wriggle away from Phoebe and had begun to openly cry, releasing whatever it was that was consuming her. At first both her and Paige had thought it was about Leo leaving, after all a failed marriage was enough to put a damper on anyone's mood, they had spent many nights talking about it while Piper sang nursery rimes to Wyatt, then they assumed it was the pressure of being a single parent, or of Wyatt being who he was, or being a Charmed One, or maybe it was all of those combined. But Phoebe could feel there was something more, ever since Chris arrived and told them about his mission, and then, after a small confrontation, about his real mission. But sensing emotions didn't mean she could automatically understand them, and Piper wasn't helping her make sense of anything.

"Please Piper, let me help."

For several minutes neither sister spoke, both too engrossed in their own thoughts. Phoebe was seconds away from giving up, for the time being, they couldn't really sit around and waste time while innocent witches were murdered, and while she thought, or rather hoped, that Leo was Up There looking for help, she couldn't be sure he wasn't just trying to get Chris recycled. The Piper spoke, so unexpectedly that Phoebe was momentarily thrown.

"He's the best thing I've ever done." Lacking a tissue she used her sleeve to wipe her tears, proof of how distress she really was.

"What?"

"Wyatt! He is the best thing I've ever done, I mean, I know we helped people, I know we've saved lives, but even if you count all of our years as Charmed Ones, having Wyatt was more important, at least to me. We worked so hard to conceive him, so hard… and now… he's here, and nothing has ever felt so real, so vital. Do you understand? He is what I put above everything else!" She seemed to be calming down somehow. "He is the most important thing and despite that, he going to be some evil lord…Phoebe…Wyatt is going to be some kind of monster and it's my responsibility!"

"Piper, no!" Phoebe, always easy to tear up, was openly sobbing.

"Yes! Of course he is! It can't ever be different, things were hard as they were, and I thought I was managing, demons coming after us was actually feeling normal… and he had to come here and tell me my baby is evil, that the best thing I've ever done is going to be the worst thing to happen to this world. He had to come and tell me that I'm not going to be enough to protect my son! That maybe I shouldn't even be protecting him!"

"Piper!" It wasn't her sister calling her name.

* * *

The Underworld was never a cheerful location yet the peals of laughter that were coming to Hiuzzi from all around him didn't seem entirely out of place. After all, another witch had been selected for the sacrifice and a small group of demos were getting ready to go after her. He wasted no time listening to the demons as they listed what they would do to the witch before killing her, the person he was looking for was on the move and he didn't have a lot of time to intercept him.

"Good evening" the voice seemed to be coming from everywhere and nowhere at once, as Hiuzzi melted away from a shadow on the wall, the room's occupant letting out a startled yelp.

"Who are you?"

"How rude? Never seen a mirror?" Hiuzzi smirked amusedly as his double stared at him disbelievingly.

"Shapeshifter."

"Try again." He stared at his younger self, wondering how he had managed to live over a century without bathing once. Wyatt had, amusingly enough, a dress code for his servants, especially one ranking as high as him, so his dirty clothes and waist length hair had to be left behind. Considering his own clothing, he realised it was something he should have done sooner. And there was no time like the present, the ritual was well on track and he was unsupervised, more importantly, the Charmed Ones were still staying away, so as little children, the demons were free to play. "Don't be afraid, I come with a proposition."

* * *

The pale form of Christopher materialized back in the Manor, only to find it empty.

"Seriously?!" He had hoped that now that the sisters knew what was happening, they would get the Book of Shadows and find a way to stop the ritual. He'd assumed they would be scrying for the potential victims, or that they would be making a potion. Anything! Instead the Book was nowhere to be seen, Leo and Paige were missing and Phoebe and Piper were having some kind of argument… wait.

He went closer to the living room entrance, careful to stay out of sight, he did not need to be blown up again, it hurt like hell and he would not survive a second round.

"He's the best thing I've ever done." Well that stung a little. Chris knew, logically, that Piper had no way of knowing she would have another son, even so, such declaration hurt more that he would care to admit. Particularly because over the years, if there was any favouritism shown by Piper, it would be towards him. Small things, like cooking his favourites for dinner more often that Wyatt's or paying extra care not to miss his school events, it was nice. Retrospectively, it was evident she was trying to compensate for Leo's absence in his life and almost excessive presence in Wyatt's, both brothers were content with the arrangement.

In the present time, his mother was falling apart on her sister's arms. He had anticipated the potential pain he would cause to his parents and aunts with his actions, which was why he had tried to keep the real purpose of his mission a secret, some sacrifices had to be made, and in the end the world's safety had to come first. He had expected them to be a bit more cooperative, or at least less aggressive towards him, clearly nothing could really go his way.

Clearly it was not the right time to ask about their progress, he figured it would be more helpful if he just went back to Valhalla, he could easily convince Mist to go to the Underworld with him. Maybe they would be able to find the demon's next target and protect her for a while, at least until the Charmed Ones were ready to fight. He was preparing to orb away when he heard a phrase that froze him to his place.

"…That maybe I shouldn't even be protecting him!" What?! No, Wyatt had to be protected, his warning was all about that, if he'd wanted his brother dead he would have done it the second he stepped out the portal.

"Piper!" The sisters startled at his voice, even when he was reprimanding them he never raised his voice. They were used to his sarcastic tone or his irritated voice, which was barely above a whisper. But never yelling.

"What are you doi…"

"How can you even say that?" He was marching into the room, probably angrier that he'd ever been. Phoebe stumbled to her feet, releasing Piper and standing in front of her. Chris was sending out terribly hostile emotions, thought she couldn't quite figure out what had provoked him. "He is your son! Are you just going to give up on him? Is it really that easy for you to disregard him?"

Piper's temper already fried by the talk with her sister was unprepared for the sudden accusations. She would have just blown him up but Phoebe was standing on the way, and a very small part of her realised she had done wrong the first time around. She settled for screaming.

"How dare you? I love Wyatt more than anything and I would do anything to protect him, you are the one who started talking about him being evil! You are the one who accused him of being a threat." She had spent hours staring at Wyatt, as he played, as he slept trying to guess what would set him off. Piper wasn't stupid, she knew the world wasn't black and white, she knew that there were bad people out there and that they couldn't blame their actions on the others, it was just as likely that her baby was one of these people, Chris seemed sure something turned him. But what if it was just who he was? Could she turn a blind eye? Had she done that in Chris' future?

Said witchlighter was only looking angrier by the second. "I said he would turn evil, I said he was in danger. Hoping that you would do whatever it took to protect him, I didn't think you would take the easy way out and just give up." She had sounded so upset the past few days, thinking she was in denial he had simply given her space, until she had made her sisters summon him, had she been thinking like this all of the time? Was she seriously considering that Wyatt was too dangerous to be saved? It seemed so, and given Phoebe's horrified face, she was starting to believe it too.

"I'm not giving up. When have I ever given up? I just…" Piper sat back down on the couch, the fight leaving her for the moment. "I can't"

Sometimes, Chris looked at Piper and saw a witch, a young mother trying to live her life while being constantly attacked by demons, other times, he saw a woman trapped way over her head, but there were times, admittedly very few, that he saw his mother, brave and warm and caring, and heartbroken. He had seen that look in her, over the years, after fighting with Leo or failing to control Wyatt. That was the woman he saw now, and whatever anger he had left him almost immediately.

"Piper, I know you can. Even if you don't believe a single word that comes out my mouth, I believe in you, why else would I have come to ask for help? You know, I could have stayed hidden, watching Wyatt from the distance. But I didn't, because I am certain that if there is one person that can look after him is you. All three of you. He needs you, more than you can possibly imagine." More than anything he wanted to be able to hug her, he settled for standing a few steps closer. Phoebe allowed it after realising no one was in danger of being hurt by the other. "If you let me, I can help you, there is no need for anything to happen to Wyatt. I wouldn't allow it." Piper didn't need to be an empath to know he was telling the truth, and she swore she would take some time later to figure out where that devotion was coming from. That is of course if her instincts were right and she wasn't about to put her trust on him only to be betrayed.

"Okay, I don't fully trust you, but if you can help me protect Wyatt, I promise I'll try to give another chance."

* * *

Hiuzzi looked at, well, himself or rather his past self, one last time before nodding in approval. In no time he got himself looking like a well groomed, impeccably dressed demon. Now he needed a few weapons and he would be ready to get the witch. Both mirror images nodded in unison before flaming away.

At the same time Leo was proudly orbing to the Manor along with two Elders, finally ready to sent the intruder back to his time.

* * *

Ok, chapter done! I hope you liked it and have some opinions to share. The next chapter is already being written and will have more action, this one was just there to set the pace of the story and giver Piper some space to talk.

I finally took the time to re-plot the rest of the story, it was abandoned for so long that I had forgotten what I wanted to do with it. No worries, we are back on track!

Also, if you want to look for me or talk, I'm on Tumblr, name is: overthepinkocean . tumblr. com


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